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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
RIVERSIDE 


i- K 


SINFUL   PECK 


A  Novel 


By 

MORGAN   ROBERTSON 

/  // 

Author  of  "Spun  Yarn"  etc. 


NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 
HARPER  &  BROTHERS 
PUBLISHERS  <*  J  9  0  3 


Copyright,  1903,  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS. 

All  rights  rfsfrvtd. 
Published  June,  1903. 


TO 

ARTHUR    HENRY 

SKIPPER  OF  THE  "ISLE  O'  QUIRK" 
WHOM  I  HAILED  IN  THE  DARKNESS 
AND  WHO  STOOD  BY  ME  UNTIL  MORN- 
ING, THIS  BOOK  IS  GRATEFULLY 
DEDICATED 


Sinful  Peck 


Sinful   Peck 


TIME  had  dealt  kindly  with  Captain  Jackson. 
There  were  a  few  deep  lines  in  his  weather- 
worn face  and  a  sprinkling  of  silver  in  his  hair,  but 
he  carried  his  " six-foot-six"  of  bone  and  muscle  as 
erect  as  in  youth,  his  stride  was  as  springy  as  ever, 
and  his  gray  eyes  seemed  to  have  an  added  keen- 
ness coming  of  the  years.  None  would  have  thought, 
as  he  paced  the  poop-deck  beside  his  seasoned 
second  officer,  that  there  was  a  difference  of  thirty 
years  in  their  ages,  even  though  Mr.  Brown  had 
one  of  those  wrinkled,  good  -  humored,  quizzical 
faces  that  look  the  same  at  twenty  as  at  fifty.  Mr. 
Brown  was  thirty  years  old,  the  captain  sixty. 

It  was  about  four  bells  of  the  morning  watch, 
and  the  captain  had  risen  early  to  observe  the 
condition  of  his  big  ship  after  the  first  night  out 


Sinful    Peck 

with  an  unproven  crew,  more  than  half  of  whom 
had  been  hoisted  aboard  drunk  or  drugged  on  the 
preceding  evening,  and  less  than  half  of  whom 
might  be  sailors.  For  the  new  seamen's  law, 
reducing  allotment  of  wages  to  one  month's  pay, 
had  just  gone  into  effect,  and  coincident  with  its 
going  into  effect  had  come  a  strike  of  the  sailors 
— or,  rather,  of  the  crimps  who  controlled  them— 
to  raise  this  one  month's  pay  to  an  amount  on 
which  an  honest  crimp  could  do  business — he  being 
the  favored  creditor  to  whom  the  pay  was  allotted. 
On  account  of  this  strike  Captain  Jackson  had  dealt 
with  a  "  scab  "  crimp,  an  outlawed  wolf  of  the  pack, 
who  had  delivered  the  goods  as  per  contract,  but 
had  not  guaranteed  that  they  were  sailors. 

The  slovenly  condition  of  the  sails  and  running 
gear  was  evidence  to  Captain  Jackson  that  very 
few  of  the  dozen  men  that  had  made  sail  through 
the  night,  and  who  now,  under  a  boatswain,  were 
weariedly  drying  the  wet  deck  forward,  were  sea- 
men. Nothing  was  taut  or  in  place;  ropes  were 
coiled  up  back -handed  or  bunched  together  in 
heaps,  and  aloft  top-gallant  sails,  royals,  and  sky- 
sails  were  still  on  the  yards.  As  Mr.  Brown  had 
just  explained,  the  exasperated  and  exhausted  first 


Sinful    Peck 

mate  had  given  it  up  at  four  in  the  morning,  going 
to  his  berth  to  rest  until  the  others  of  the  crew 
were  sober,  when  some  might  be  found  fit  to  be 
trusted  aloft. 

"Have  to  thump  any  o'  them?"  asked  the 
captain. 

"Some,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Brown.  "Mr.  Becker 
ran  foul  o'  most  of  'em,  and — see  that  fat  lobster 
at  the  wheel?  Well,  I  jolted  him  in  the  first 
watch.  Asked  me  what  county  I  come  from. 
Now,  I'm  all  that's  bad,  but  I'm  not  Irish.  Yet 
he's  the  only  sailor-man  I  found  among  'em." 

Captain  Jackson  turned  and  looked  at  the 
helmsman.  He  was  a  man  past  middle  life,  with 
a  round,  smiling  countenance  and  well-kept  mus- 
tache. He  was  very  short  of  stature,  but  of  im- 
mense girth.  He  stood  with  legs  far  apart,  and 
steered  the  ship  with  an  easy  twirling  of  the  wheel 
that  bespoke  familiarity  with  the  work,  but  he 
returned  the  captain's  stare  with  an  assurance 
not  easily  acquired  at  sea. 

"That  man's  no  sailor,"  remarked  the  skipper; 
"he  can't  go  aloft  with  that  displacement." 

"  But  he  is,  captain.  And  he's  the  only  man 
who  did  go  aloft." 

3 


Sinful    Peck 

As  the  captain  studied  the  man's  cheerful  face 
the  left  eye  in  it  closed  in  a  deliberate  wink. 

"What!"  roared  the  captain,  advancing. 
"What's  that  for?" 

"  What's  what  for?"  answered  the  helmsman,  im- 
pudently, as  he  shifted  the  wheel,  after  a  glance  at 
the  compass. 

"What?"  again  thundered  the  captain.  "That 
the  way  you  speak  to  me?  Hey?  You  say  'sir' 
when  you  answer  me,  or  an  officer.  D'  ye  hear?" 

"All  right,  sir.  'Sir'  it  is,  sir/'  replied  the  un- 
moved sailor.  "What  can  I  do  for  you,  sir?" 

"  You're  a  rare  bird,"  said  the  astonished  captain, 
"but  you've  something  to  learn,  I  see.  What  'd 
you  wink  at  me  for?" 

The  little  man  looked  the  big  man  steadily  in  the 
eye  and  said,  softly  and  slowly,  "To  make  little 
boys  ask  questions." 

Obviously  no  self-respecting  master  of  a  two- 
thousand -ton  ship  could  brook  this.  Captain 
Jackson,  red  in  the  face  and  choking  with  rage, 
sprang  towards  him  with  fist  clinched  and  drawn 
back  to  strike ;  but  he  halted  as  the  intended  victim 
raised  his.hand  warningly,  and  quietly  said,  "  Don't 
strike  a  man  at  the  wheel — don't  you  dare." 

4 


Sinful    Peck 

Shipboard  etiquette,  modified  by  the  unseemly 
and  quite  unnecessary  meddling  of  underwriters, 
has  long  exempted  the  man  at  the  wheel  from  any- 
thing harsher  than  verbal  rebuke;  and  Captain 
Jackson  remembered  in  time.  He  turned  to  the 
second  mate  and  said,  sharply,  "  Send  another  man 
to  the  wheel." 

"  But  there's  not  another  man  on  deck  who  can 
steer,  captain,"  said  the  officer. 

"  There's  a  whole  draft  o'  good  sailor-men  in  their 
bunks,  cappen,"  volunteered  the  helmsman,  serene- 
ly. "  Slept  all  night.  Rouse  'em  out." 

Had  the  advice  come  from  a  legitimate  quarter, 
Captain  Jackson  might  have  followed  it.  As  it  was, 
he  glared  at  the  man  for  a  moment,  then  walked  for- 
ward to  the  break  of  the  poop,  breathing  hoarsely 
in  the  effort  to  contain  himself.  The  second  mate 
tarried  long  enough  to  say  to  the  helmsman,  "  You're 
c'mittin'  suicide.  Keep  your  tongue  quiet." 

But  the  cheerful  face  expanded  to  a  reassuring 
smile,  and  Mr.  Brown  followed  the  captain,  grin- 
ning in  spite  of  himself. 

"It  beats  me,"  sputtered  the  captain — "beats 
anything  I  ever  saw  —  no  —  one  crowd  —  in  the 
Almena—  He  paused,  and  the  anger  in  his 

5 


Sinful    Peck 

face  gave  way  to  an  expression  of  moody  medita- 
tion. 

"The  Almena!"  said  the  second  mate,  wonder- 
ingly.  "  Were  you  aboard  that  ship,  sir?" 

"  Yes,  I  was  mate  of  her — thirty  years  ago.  Mr. 
Becker,  down  below,  was  second  mate;  we've  held 
together  since — off  and  on." 

"  I  was  a  baby  at  the  time,  sir,  but  I've  heard  of 
that  voyage  in  every  ship  I've  sailed  in.  How  was 
it?  They  took  charge,  didn't  they?" 

"Yes — at  Callao.  They  were  schooner  sailors 
from  the  Lakes,  but  we  clubbed  'em  into  shape  on 
the  way  out.  Then  they  got  our  guns  at  Callao, 
and  took  the  ship  to  sea  with  twelve  visitors — skip- 
pers and  mates — aboard.  They  nearly  killed  us — 
made  us  holystone  the  deck  and  eat  fo' castle  grub 
— and  hammered  the  daylights  out  of  us  all." 

"  But  what  became  of  'em?" 

"  Lord  knows.  Hung,  maybe,  long  ago.  They 
turned  the  visitors  adrift  in  one  of  the  boats  and 
took  the  ship  around  to  New  York — how  they  did 
it  I  couldn't  make  out;  but  they  navigated,  some- 
how. Dismasted  her  off  Hatteras,  and  the  harbor 
police  nabbed  'em  at  Quarantine.  But  that's  the 
last  heard  of  'em.  Got  away  from  the  police  boat, 

6 


Sinful    Peck 

somehow,  on  the  way  up  the  bay.  Oh,  they  were  a 
whole  Sunday-school." 

"  Didn't  the  captain  kill  himself — or  something?" 
asked  Mr.  Brown. 

"  No,  poor  devil,  but  might  as  well.  Benson  was 
a  very  sensitive  man,  and  couldn't  stand  the  ridi- 
cule. He  wrecked  his  ship  next  voyage,  and  they 
say  he  wasn't  quite  himself.  At  any  rate,  he  lost 
his  grip  after  that.  I  had  him  mate  one  voyage 
after  I  got  command,  but  he  wouldn't  let  the  stuff 
alone.  It's  twenty  years  since  I  heard  of  him ;  then 
he  was  second  mate  of  a  brigantine.  No  good  at 
all." 

"Funny — seems  to  me — that  they  should  take 
the  ship  home  instead  o'  beachin'  her,  as  most  muti- 
neers do." 

"  Oh,  they  were  a  funny  lot;  thought  they  were 
within  the  law,  merely  asserting  their  rights  as  citi- 
zens ;  yet  they  were  the  worst  outlaws  that  ever  got 
together.  And  their  nicknames  fitted  them.  What 
d'  you  think  of  Seldom  Helward  for  a  name,  and 
Bigpig  Monahan,  and  Poopdeck  Cahill,  and  Sinful 
Peck?  They  were  the  leading  spirits.  Then  there 
was  Moccassey  Gill,  and  Tosser  Galvin,  and  Ghost 
O'Brien,  and — I've  'most  forgotten  them  all,  but 

7 


Sinful    Peck 

I'd  remember  if  I  heard.  Oh  yes,  I'd  remem- 
ber." 

The  second  mate  grinned  again  and  glanced  aft  at 
the  helmsman,  whose  lips  were  now  pursed  into  a 
pucker,  as  though  he  were  whistling  softly  as  he 
steered. 

"  What  would  you  do,  captain,  if  you  found  that 
same  crowd  in  your  forecastle?" 

"Turn  back  and  land  'em.  Once  is  enough  for 
me.  But — no  fear ;  they  were  young,  and  not  long 
for  this  wicked  world.  By-the-way,  did  you  search 
the  men's  dunnage?" 

"  No,  sir,  there  wasn't  time,  and  they  were  pretty 
dopy  and  helpless.  We  haven't  even  picked  the 
watches." 

"  You  took  chances,  nevertheless.  Speak  to  Mr. 
Becker,  and  see  to  it  if  I  forget  to  tell  him.  Get  'em 
out  at  one  bell  and  take  away  all  sheath-knives  and 
whiskey.  There  goes  seven  bells." 


II 


THE  man  at  the  wheel  had  struck  the  bell,  and 
while  Mr.  Brown  stepped  down  the  poop-lad- 
der to  call  his  superior  the  captain  walked  aft  to  the 
wheel.  A  glance  at  the  compass  showed  the  ship 
directly  on  her  course,  and  he  looked  into  the 
helmsman's  face,  which  had  assumed  an  expression 
of  respectful  gravity. 

"  Captain,"  he  said,  "  you  must  pardon  the  seem- 
ing flippancy  and  irreverence  in  my  manner  and 
tone  just  now.  I  assure  you,  sir,  it  was  due  solely 
to  the  exhilarating  influence  of  the  fresh  morning 
air,  not  to  any  disrespect — 

"  What!"  gasped  the  captain,  amazed  at  the  dic- 
tion. 

"  I  had  no  wish  to  embarrass  or  disconcert  you, 
sir.  And  will  you  be  kind  enough,  captain,  to  take 
charge  of  this  satchel  for  the  voyage  ?' '  He  reached 
under  the  wheel-box  and  produced  a  hand-bag  of 
costly  make  and  material  which  he  extended  tow- 

9 


Sinful    Peck 

ards  the  captain.  "  It  contains  my  valuables,  and 
as  there  is  a  rough  crowd  forward  I  should  like  it 
cared  for.  I  require  no  receipt." 

"What  the —  Who  the  devil  are  you?  You're 
no  sailor."  Captain  Jackson  had  mechanically 
taken  the  bag,  noticing  that  the  man's  hand  was 
as  soft  and  white  as  a  clergyman's. 

"An  able  seaman,  sir,"  he  answered,  proudly. 
"  Put  me  through  any  test  questions  you  like, 
sir." 

"  Box  the  compass." 

"Yes,  sir.  Nothe,  nothe  and  by  east;  nothe, 
nothe  east;  nothe — 

"  That  '11  do.  Which  side  does  the  maintop-sail 
halyards  lead  down?" 

"  Starboard  side,  sir.     Fore  and  mizzen  to  port." 

"You're  it,  all  right.  What  d'  ye  mean  by  giv- 
ing me  lip?" 

"  My  happy  disposition,  sir.  My  mother  used  to 
say—" 

"  Damn  what  your  mother  said.  I'll  give  you  an 
unhappy  disposition  'fore  I'm  through  wi'  you." 

Captain  Jackson,  carrying  the  hand-bag,  de- 
scended to  his  breakfast,  and  when  eight  bells 
sounded,  half  an  hour  later,  reappeared  with  his 

10 


Sinful    Peck 

first  officer,  both  emerging  by  the  forward  cabin 
door  and  climbing  the  poop-steps  to  the  lee  alley. 
Here  they  paused,  the  captain  looking  forward  at 
the  men  flocking  near  the  forecastle,  Mr.  Becker 
eying  the  man  at  the  wheel  with  a  disapprov- 
ing stare  which  said  plainly  that  he  had  just  heard 
evil  report  of  him.  The  helmsman  did  not  wink, 
nor  even  return  the  stare.  His  own  mood  may  have 
changed,  but  there  certainly  was  menace  in  the 
attitude  of  the  mate  (one  long  arm  akimbo  on  his 
hip,  the  other  supporting  his  chin  as  he  leaned 
against  the  house),  and  in  his  scowling,  sullen  face, 
hairy  almost  to  his  eyes.  He  was  no  taller  than 
was  the  helmsman,  but  there  was  little  fat  on  his 
bones,  and  he  made  up  for  lack  of  height  in  breadth 
of  shoulder  and  length  of  arm. 

A  gray-haired,  decrepit,  and  watery-eyed  man 
was  shambling  aft,  followed  by  Mr.  Brown.  He 
climbed  the  steps,  lowered  his  head  in  a  jerky  salute 
as  he  passed  the  captain  and  mate  —  who  merely 
glanced  at  him — and  went  to  the  wheel.  Here  he 
received  more  attention.  As  Mr.  Brown  joined  his 
superiors,  remarking  that  the  men  forward  were 
ugly,  and  that  he  had  found  trouble  in  getting 
one  to  relieve  the  wheel,  the  fat  man,  having  re- 

ii 


Sinful    Peck 

linquished  the  spokes  to  his  successor  and  given 
him  the  course,  was  staring  him  in  the  eyes  with 
a  growing  smile  of  delight.  Then  he  clapped  the 
aged  wreck  on  his  emaciated  shoulders  and  said, 
jovially,  "Hello,  Benson!  And  is  it  really  you?— 
you,  too!" 

"G'wan  out  o'  this,"  whined  the  old  man,  "an' 
lemme  'lone.  Wh'  are  ye,  annyhow?"  But  the  fat 
man  was  proceeding  forward  along  the  alley,  chuck- 
ling as  he  went. 

"Thought  so,  captain,"  remarked  Mr.  Becker, 
taking  his  elbow  off  the  house  and  wheeling  around. 
"That's  Benson — old  Captain  Benson,  o'  the  Al- 
mena.  Don't  you  know  him  ?' ' 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  captain,  looking  aft  at 
the  new  helmsman.  "  Yes — no,  hardly — yes,  it  is! 
Sure  enough.  What  a  come-down! — here,  though 
-wait." 

The  fat  man  was  passing;  the  captain  collared 
him,  shook  him  vigorously  for  a  few  moments,  then, 
holding  him  at  arm's  -  length  and  marching  him 
towards  the  steps,  kicked  him  solidly  and  viciously 
while  he  squirmed  and  cursed;  then,  giving  him  a 
push  and  releasing  him,  he  lifted  him  bodily,  with 
a  final  kick,  over  the  break  of  the  poop  and  down 

12 


Sinful    Peck 

clear  of  the  steps  to  the  main  deck.  The  man  was 
too  fat  to  be  badly  hurt,  but  he  bounded  to  his  feet 
and  looked  up  with  eyes  blazing  in  anger. 

"More  'n  one  way  to  skin  a  cat,"  remarked  the 
captain,  calmly.  "We  don't  often  hit  the  man  at 
the  wheel,  but  we  hit  other  men.  Take  yourself 
forrard  now,  and — no  more  o'  your  lip,  or  you'll 
wish  yourself  dead  'fore  long." 

"Will  I?"  snarled  the  victim.  "Will  I?  Not 
much — not  till  I've  had  you  in  jail  for  a  while.  That 
goes  down  against  you,  Capt'n  Jackson.  D'  you 
know  the  new  law,  you  purblind  fool?  The  amend- 
ment to  section  forty-six  hundred  and  eleven  of  the 
Revised  Statutes  says  that  flogging  and  all  other 
forms  of  corporal  punishment  are  hereby  prohibited 
on  board — 

He  was  interrupted.  At  a  sign  from  the  captain 
the  second  mate  had  sprung  off  the  poop,  landing  on 
his  shoulders  and  throwing  him  to  the  deck;  then 
began  a  sequence  of  punchings,  chokings,  and  curs- 
ings which  did  not  end  until  the  little  fat  man  had 
been  worried  along  the  deck  and  hurled  headlong 
among  a  group  of  the  newly  aroused  men  near  the 
forward  house.  These  received  him  with  open 
arms — some  of  which  arms  terminated  in  fists — and, 

13 


Sinful    Peck 

in  a  milder  degree,  continued  the  punishment.  As 
the  crew  was  not  yet  officially  "  turned  to,"  and  as 
this  operation  promised  to  require  the  moral  influ- 
ence of  the  combined  after-guard,  Mr.  Brown  digni- 
fiedly  turned  his  back  on  the  dispute  and  hurried 
aft,  finding  the  captain  and  first  mate  interviewing 
the  new  helmsman,  who,  though  his  bloodless  body 
shivered  under  its  rags  in  the  keen  March  wind, 
yet  stood  erect  with  a  dignity  born  of  a  better 
past  and  looked  his  interlocutors  squarely  in  the 
eyes. 

"Yes,  sir,"  he  was  saying  as  the  second  mate 
drew  near;  "it  was  that  voyage  that  did  the  busi- 
ness for  me.  I  never  heard  the  last  of  it,  and,  one 
thing  with  another — bad  luck  and  all — well,  sir, 
here  I  am  'fore  the  mast." 

"  Hadn't — ahem — a — hadn't  whiskey  something 
to  do  with  it?"  inquired  Captain  Jackson,  a  little 
uneasily. 

"Of  course,  capt'n;  but  —  you  were  mate,  not 
skipper,  and  it  may  not  have  hit  you  so  hard.  But 
when  every  crew  flings  it  at  you,  when  boys  in  the 
street  yell  at  you,  when  your  own  wife  laughs  at 
you,  what  will  you  do?  You'll  drink,  sooner  or 
later,  sir.  Yes,  and  Mr.  Becker  would  drink.  Any 

14 


Sinful    Peck 

man  would,  sir."  His  voice  had  taken  on  the 
whining  tone,  and  he  dropped  his  glance  to  the 
compass  card. 

"  Well,  Benson  —  yes  —  well —  The  captain 
seemed  somewhat  embarrassed  at  thus  addressing 
his  old  skipper.  "Wait  a  few  days;  brace  up  and 
get  it  out  o'  you,  and  I'll  see  if  I  can't  use  you 
aft." 

"Thank  ye,  sir,"  said  Benson,  his  watery  eyes 
lighting;  "  and  say,  capt'n,  I'm  not  an  alarmist,  but 
I  was  struck  by  the  voice  o'  the  man  I  relieved.  He 
knew  me,  too,  and  do  you  know,  sir,  he  reminded 
me  o'  Sinful  Peck?  'Member  him,  sir?" 

"Sinful  Peck!— the  little,  sawed-off,  chief  devil 
o'  them  all!  Why  didn't  I  think!  Of  course — 
there's  something  familiar — 

The  captain  looked  forward  and  saw  the  small 
fat  man  in  the  weather  main  rigging  vociferating 
angrily  to  some  one  out  of  sight  on  the  main  deck 
beneath  him,  and  the  two  boatswains  and  the  cook 
coming  hurriedly  up  the  poop-steps,  looking  back 
as  they  came.  Both  boatswains  carried  belaying- 
pins,  and  the  cook — a  colored  brother — was  picking 
fragments  of  food  from  his  hair  and  clothing.  And 
now,  as  though  aware  of  coming  trouble,  diagnosed 

15 


Sinful    Peck 

from  the  forward  cabin  door,  the  steward  ap- 
peared at  the  after-companion  with  three  double- 
barrelled  shot-guns  and  three  belts  of  cartridges, 
while  the  carpenter,  with  a  bleeding  nose,  followed 
the  cook  and  boatswains  up  the  steps.  The  cap- 
tain and  two  mates  silently  buckled  on  the  belts 
handed  by  the  steward,  took  a  gun  each,  and, 
mounting  the  house,  went  forward  to  the  monkey- 
rail,  where  they  joined  the  three  fugitives. 

"Devil  of  a  crowd,  sir,"  said  one  of  the  boat- 
swains; "can't  do  anything  with  them."  Though 
not  really  disfigured,  he  looked  the  worse  for 
wear. 

"An'  I  nebber  see  such  men,  sah,"  said  the 
cook,  earnestly;  "dey  won't  eat  dey  b'eakfas'. 
Dey  frow  all  dat  hash  at  me." 

The  carpenter,  busy  with  his  nose,  made  no 
comment. 

Captain  Jackson  and  his  officers  looked  over  the 
monkey -rail,  on  which  they  nonchalantly  rested 
their  guns,  the  muzzles  slightly  depressed.  Clus- 
tered near  the  main  hatch  and  looking  aft  curiously 
were  the  men  who  had  been  working  forward  —  an 
unkempt  and  seedy  muster  of  life's  failures,  the  ma- 
terial from  which  the  native  American  deep-water 

16 


Sinful    Peck 

sailor  is  usually  developed.  Directly  underneath, 
and  looking  up  at  the  guns,  the  sight  of  which  had 
evidently  halted  them,  were  thirteen  scowling  raga- 
muffins in  all  stages  of  disarray.  A  few  wore  greasy 
caps  or  slouch  hats,  the  rest  were  bareheaded.  Here 
and  there  a  tightly  buttoned  canvas  jacket  masked 
a  hiatus  beneath.  One  man,  dressed  in  a  complete 
suit  of  washed-out  oilskins,  shivered  palpably — but 
not  in  fear,  as  was  evidenced  by  his  red  hair  tinged 
with  gray,  his  Roman  nose,  his  bushy,  arching  eye- 
brows, and  the  threatening  pose  of  his  body,  bent 
back  and  to  the  right  with  an  iron  belaying -pin 
extended  at  arm's-length.  Two  men  were  in  their 
stocking  feet ;  one  was  without  even  stockings,  and 
three  others  owned  a  boot  apiece,  not  one  a  mate 
for  any  of  the  others.  The  clothing  of  all  was 
greasy,  tarry,  patched,  and  fringed,  most  of  it  con- 
structed from  canvas  and  blankets,  and  not  a  gar- 
ment among  them  fitting  its  wearer.  One  man, 
with  trousers  ending  near  his  knees,  was  a  giant  as 
large  as  the  captain,  and,  aside  from  his  gray  hair 
and  a  cast  in  one  eye,  was  a  perfect  model  of  virile 
manhood.  Others  were  stoop-shouldered  and  bent, 
and  a  few  were  nearly  as  corpulent  as  the  man  in  the 
main  rigging.  All  were  middle-aged  or  elderly  men, 

17 


Sinful    Peck 

and  on  each  face  was  a  common  expression  of  intel- 
ligence, resentment,  and  disgust. 

Captain  Jackson  looked  them  over,  and  grew  pale 
as  he  looked. 


Ill 


OH,  you're  up  against  the  real  thing  now," 
sang  out  the  man  in  the  rigging.  "  You 
won't  mistreat  Captain  Jackson  and  Mr.  Becker. 
Not  much — not  while  they've  got  guns,  you  pack 
o'  wolves." 

"Now,  Sinful,  shut  up,"  called  the  big  giant; 
"and  Seldom" — this  to  the  Roman-nosed  man  in 
oilskins — "  just  lower  that  belayin'-pin.  We'll  talk 
this  over  with  the  skipper  'fore  we  take  action. 
What  does  this  mean,  anyhow,  Jackson?"  he  said, 
looking  up  at  the  captain. 

"What  does  what  mean?"  answered  the  captain, 
slowly,  ignoring  the  insolence  in  the  use  of  his  name 
without  his  title. 

"Oh,  you  know  us  well  enough.  Why  are  we 
here,  shanghaied  in  a  bunch  aboard  your  ship  ?  Are 
you  a  party  to  it?  Haven't  you  had  enough  o'  this 
crowd?" 

"  Candidly,  I  have.  I  know  you  all,  though  two 
19 


Sinful    Peck 

or  three  appear  to  be  missing — in  jail,  I  suppose. 
But  you  wouldn't  have  signed  with  me  if  I  had  been 
in  the  shipping-office,  and  as  for  being  a  party  to 
shanghaiing  you,  if  such  is  the  case,  why — well,  I'd 
go  to  a  hotter  region  for  a  crew  first.  What  do  you 
want? — to  live  in  the  cabin?" 

"  We  want  you  to  turn  back  and  put  us  ashore," 
said  the  spokesman,  firmly.  "  We  didn't  sign  your 
articles,  and  you've  no  earthly  right— 

"Yes,  they  did,  capt'n,"  interrupted  the  man  in 
the  rigging.  "  Yesterday  afternoon — they  all  signed. 
They  were  all  drunk,  but  they  signed.  Get  out  your 
articles  and  you'll  find  their  names,  every  one." 

The  Roman-nosed  man  whirled  in  his  tracks  and 
sent  the  belaying-pin  flying  towards  him,  but  it 
missed  and  went  overboard. 

"  I  haven't  seen  the  articles  since  they  were  re- 
turned to  me,"  answered  the  captain,  "  and  I  don't 
know  who  signed.  I  merely  paid  a  shipping-master 
for  twenty-five  men,  and  he  signed  and  delivered 
them — mostly  drunk.  If  you  signed  my  articles 
I  am  within  the  law  in  compelling  you  to  finish  the 
voyage.  Understand  that." 

"They  all  signed,  capt'n,"  yelled  the  fat  man. 
"Get  out  the  articles." 

20 


Sinful    Peck 

"Steward,"  said  the  captain,  turning  to  that 
functionary,  who  had  joined  them  with  more  arms 
and  ammunition,  "  bring  up  the  ship's  articles  from 
my  desk." 

"Yes,  sir."  The  steward  handed  two  Winches- 
ter rifles  and  two  revolvers  to  the  carpenter,  cook, 
and  two  boatswains,  and  hastened  below,  while  Cap- 
tain Jackson  beckoned  his  first  mate  to  one  side. 

"It's  them,  all  right,"  said  the  latter,  with  doubt 
and  anxiety  in  his  face.  "What's  to  be  done, 
sir?" 

The  captain  looked  him  steadily  in  the  eyes  as 
though  hoping  to  find  there  the  answer  to  the  em- 
barrassing question. 

"I  hardly  know,"  he  said,  at  last.  "I  haven't 
the  slightest  doubt  that  they  were  shanghaied,  in 
spite  of  what  Sinful  says.  That  man  would  swear 
his  own  mother  into  jail.  Let's  see  the  articles." 

The  steward  had  arrived.  The  captain  took  the 
folded  paper  from  him  and  opened  it  on  the  monkey- 
rail. 

"Come  aft,  here,  all  of  you,"  he  called  to  the 
group  amidships,  and  this  dozen  of  men  slouched 
towards  the  others.  "  Stand  over  to  one  side  by 
yourselves,"  he  added,  as  his  eye  ran  down  the  list 

21 


Sinful    Peck 

of  names ;  and,  when  they  had  grouped  themselves 
apart,  "  Answer  to  your  names  as  I  read  them." 

He  read  off  twelve  names  distinctly,  but  not  one 
was  answered.  All  were  commonplace  names — 
some  foreign,  some  English. 

"  Did  you  men,"  said  the  captain,  addressing  the 
dozen,  "  sign  in  this  ship  for  the  voyage  to  Singapore 
and  back?" 

All  protested  that  they  had  not.  They  were 
drunk  on  the  day  before;  they  had  been  promised 
work  up  the  State ;  they  were  hungry  and  had  been 
entertained ;  they  had  been  struck  down  in  the  dark- 
ness. None  had  been  told  of  going  in  a  ship,  and 
none  desired  to  go. 

"  Now  for  the  rest,"  said  the  captain,  interrupting 
the  clamor  of  the  dozen.  ' '  Sinful  Peck  ?' ' 

"  Here,"  joyously  shouted  the  fat  man. 

"Moccassey  Gill?" 

"That's  a  name  I  haven't  been  called  by  for 
twenty  years, ' '  said  the  giant  spokesman .  ' '  What' s 
it  doing  there?  I  didn't  write  it." 

"MocasseyGill?" 

"  Reckon  that's  me,"  said  the  barefooted  man. 

"Seldom  Helward?" 

The  Roman-nosed  man  nodded  as  the  captain 

22 


Sinful    Peck 

glanced  down  at  him,  then  turned  a  menacing  eye 
on  Sinful  in  the  rigging. 

"  Poopdeck  Cahill?" 

"Here,"  answered  one  of  the  shirtless  men,  in  a 
quiet,  respectful  voice.  "  And,  captain,"  he  added, 
"  I  don't  doubt  we're  all  down  on  the  articles;  but 
will  you  please  let  us  see  the  signatures?  You'll 
find  by  testing  our  handwriting  that  we  did  not 
sign." 

He  climbed  the  poop-steps  confidently,  and  then 
to  the  top  of  the  cabin,  holding  out  his  hand  for 
the  sheet  of  paper,  as  though  the  request  were 
from  one  gentleman  to  another.  His  manner  was 
compelling,  and  Captain  Jackson  yielded. 

The  man  read  in  a  loud  voice:  "Ghost  O'Brien, 
Gunner  Meagher,  General  Lannigan,  Turkey  Twain, 
Sorry  Welch,  Yampaw  Gallegher,  Jump  Black,  and 
Shiner  O'Toole." 

"Captain,"  he  said,  handing  back  the  articles, 
"those  are  our  old  nicknames,  but  every  one  is 
forged  except  the  first — Sinful  Peck.  I  know  the 
handwriting  of  all." 

"You're  a  liar,  Poopdeck,"  came  from  the  main 
rigging. 

A  flush  came  to  Poopdeck' s  face,  but  a  smile  to 
23 


Sinful    Peck 

the  captain's.     It  had  begun  as  the  last  name  was 
read,  and  possibly  was  aroused  by  the  reading. 

"Aren't  there  more  of  you?"  he  asked,  good- 
humoredly.  "Seems  to  me  you're  not  all  here. 
Who  were  the  others  ?  I  forget. ' ' 

Poopdeck  thought  a  moment  or  two  and  said: 
"  Senator  Sands,  and — let's  see — Yorker  Jimson. 
Doctor  Sands  is  now  a  practising  physician  in  one 
of  the  Lake  cities  and  Mr.  Jimson  is  a  clergyman  in 
another.  That  is  why  they  are  not  here.  We  all 
live  in  Cleveland." 

"  And  how  many — " 

The  report  of  a  gun  interrupted,  and  they  turned 
in  time  to  see  Mr.  Becker  stagger  backward,  both 
long  arms  extended  and  his  smoking  shot-gun  slip- 
ping from  his  fingers — exploding  the  second  barrel 
as  it  struck  the  deck — while  the  iron  belaying-pin 
which  had  impacted  on  his  forehead  whirled  high 
in  air.  A  cry  of  pain  rang  out  from  the  main  rig- 
ging, angry  and  profane  exclamations  arose  from 
the  men  on  the  main-deck,  and  the  two  arbitrators 
sprang  to  the  monkey-rail,  where  the  others  were 
threatening  with  their  guns;  but  the  descending 
iron  belaying  -  pin  struck  Poopdeck  on  the  head, 
and  he  fell  prone  beside  the  unconscious  first  mate. 

24 


Sinful    Peck 

A  very  natural  thing  had  happened.  The  iras- 
cible Seldom  Helward,  having  expended  his  belay- 
ing-pin  on  Sinful  Peck,  had  secured  another  from 
the  pin-rail  and  resumed  his  position  in  the  van. 
The  equally  irascible  Mr.  Becker  had  resented  this 
display  of  antagonism  to  the  extent  of  lowering  his 
gun  to  a  line  with  Seldom' s  head  and  scowling  vi- 
ciously. Then  the  iron  club  had  flown,  felling  the 
officer;  his  trigger  finger  had  contracted  as  he  fell, 
and  the  charge,  directed  upward,  had  struck  Sinful 
Peck  in  the  rigging,  and  the  second  charge  had 
flown  harmlessly  over  the  helmsman's  head;  but 
the  first  of  the  furious  men  to  mount  the  poop- 
steps  saw  the  prostrate  Poopdeck,  and  called  out, 
"They've  shot  Cahill,  too.  Let's  kill  the  murder- 
ing scoundrels  and  be  done  with  it!" 

"Back  with  you!"  roared  the  captain.  "Down 
off  my  poop!  Don't  you  come  up,  or  we'll  shoot 
the  last  man  of  you.  I  am  master  here.  Get  down !' ' 

Counting  the  extra  barrels  of  the  shot-guns,  there 
were  eight  steel  tubes  looking  at  the  closely  packed 
crowd  in  the  alley  and  on  the  steps.  Slowly  and 
sullenly  they  backed  down,  and  when  all  were  on 
deck  Seldom  asked,  in  a  voice  choking  with  rage, 
"  Well,  what  d'  you  want  to  do?  Kill  us  all?" 

25 


Sinful    Peck 

"  No,  but  we  will  kill  you  all  if  you  make  a  display 
of  force  against  me  or  my  officers.  As  sailors  or 
passengers  you  are  under  my  authority,  and  it  is 
lawful  to  shoot  you  and  confine  you  in  irons  for 
mutiny.  Thirty  years  ago  we  shot  five  of  you  for 
this  very  same  thing,  and  the  law  still  gives  us  the 
right.  Who  threw  that  belaying-pin  at  the  mate?" 

"  I  did,"  answered  Seldom. 

"Come  up  here." 

"I  won't!" 

The  eight  tubes  were  pointed  at  Seldom,  and 
those  near  him,  involuntarily  perhaps,  shrank 
away. 

"  I'll  count  three,"  said  the  captain.     "  One — 

"Oh,  don't  count,"  growled  Seldom.  "You've 
got  the  drop." 

He  ascended  to  the  alley,  and  the  able  and  effi- 
cient steward  darted  below  and  returned  with  hand- 
cuffs, which  Mr.  Brown  secured  on  the  mutineer's 
wrists.  Then  he  led  him  aft  to  the  lazarette  and 
lashed  him  to  the  quarter-bit.  When  the  officer  re- 
turned Poopdeck  was  standing  up  and  feeling  of 
his  head  in  a  dazed  manner,  the  first  mate  was  in  a 
sitting  posture,  clumsily  reloading  his  shot-gun,  and 
the  captain  was  ordering  the  wounded  Sinful  assist- 

26 


Sinful    Peck 

ed  down  from  the  rigging.  The  men  obeyed  this 
order  willingly,  and  the  subdued  Sinful  was  soon 
laid  out  in  the  scuppers. 

"  Now,  captain,"  said  Bigpig  Monahan,  as  he 
walked  aft  and  looked  up — "now  that  you've  got 
Seldom  in  irons,  suppose  we  ask  again,  What  are 
you  going  to  do?" 

Captain  Jackson  made  him  no  answer.  He 
turned,  leaving  the  four  subordinates  on  guard  at 
the  monkey-rail,  and  joined  his  two  mates. 

"  Get  down  on  the  main-deck,"  he  said  to  Poop- 
deck;  and  the  man  obeyed.  "Now,  Mr.  Becker," 
he  said  to  the  mate,  who  had  struggled  to  his  feet, 
"there  is  one  of  two  things  to  be  done:  beat  back 
to  Sandy  Hook — fifty  miles  at  least — land  them  and 
ship  a  new  crew  at  an  expense  of  over  a  hundred 
dollars  and  half  a  week's  lost  time,  or — go  on  with 
them  and  break  them  in.  What  do  you  say?  They 
are  certainly  shanghaied,  and  have  a  right  to  be 
put  ashore." 

"I'm  game,  sir,"  said  the  mate,  thickly.  "I'd 
like  a  little  further  experience  with  that  feller  that 
hit  me." 

"  Mr.  Brown,  how  do  you  feel?  Are  you  willing 
to  go  out  with  this  crew,  and  be  ready  to  shoot  for 


Sinful    Peck 

your  life  at  a  second's  notice? — for  they're  not  ordi- 
nary sailors.  You've  seen  that." 

"  I  will  do  as  you  direct,  sir,"  answered  the  second 
mate.  "  And  I  can  always  get  along  with  men  who 
know  their  work." 

"  They  know  their  work  all  right.  That  isn't  it. 
I'm  inclined  to  land  them." 

Captain  Jackson  stepped  to  the  monkey-rail  and 
looked  over.  Bigpig  and  Poopdeck  were  convers- 
ing near  the  booby-hatch ;  their  companions  were 
clustered  around  the  form  of  Sinful  Peck,  and  the 
dozen  shanghaied  nondescripts  were  scattered  along 
the  starboard  side  of  the  deck  from  the  poop-steps 
to  the  main  rigging.  He  gave  but  a  passing  glance  to 
these,  and  his  eye  returned  to  the  men  from  Cleve- 
land. In  spite  of  their  rags  and  the  after-effects 
of  drug  and  drink  in  their  faces,  there  was  yet  an 
index  of  power,  of  confidence,  of  solidarity  in  their 
every  attitude  and  gesture.  There  was  a  threat  in 
every  eye  that  returned  his  stare,  and  the  captain 
turned  away,  walking  aft  with  doubt  and  uncer- 
tainty in  his  face.  Then  his  glance  rested  on  the 
wasted,  trembling  figure  of  the  man  at  the  wheel, 
and  his  face  hardened. 

"No — no  —  not  for  me,"  he  muttered,  as  he 
28 


Sinful    Peck 

brought  the  stock  of  his  gun  with  a  thump  to  the 
deck.  He  stepped  to  the  monkey-rail.  "  Come  aft 
here,  the  lot  of  you,"  he  called.  They  came. 

"All  I  know,  or  care  to  know,"  he  said  to  them, 
"  is  that  you  are  on  my  articles  and  have  begun  the 
voyage  to  Singapore  and  back  to  an  American  port. 
You  will  finish  the  voyage,  or  you  will  go  to  jail  in 
Singapore.  Take  your  choice.  Mr.  Becker — Mr. 
Brown,"  he  said,  turning  to  his  officers,  "  turn  them 
to,  get  sail  on  this  ship  and  clear  up  the  decks. 
When  you  choose  watches  to-night,  split  that  crowd 
in  half." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  they  answered. 


IV 


TO  Mr.  Brown,  steeped  in  the  traditions  of  deep- 
water  seafaring,  the  easy  acquiescence  of  this 
shanghaied  crew  to  the  dictum  of  the  captain  was 
but  a  natural  deference  to  armed  authority. 

"  Do  your  work. like  men,"  he  had  said  to  his  half 
of  them  when  the  watches  had  been  picked  at  eight 
bells  that  evening,  "and  I'll  treat  you  like  men. 
But  if  you  don't — if  you  gi'  me  any  trouble — you'll 
find  me  a  tough  customer,  I'll  tell  ye  that."  To 
which  the  thirteen  men  of  his  watch  had  made  no 
response  until  Bigpig  Monahan,  shifting  his  glance 
from  the  second  mate,  cleared  his  throat  and  an- 
swered, "  Ay,  ay,  sir;  we  can  do  our  work." 

Then  they  had  joined  in  the  response,  and  Mr. 
Brown  had  marched  to  his  room  with  the  peculiar 
jerk  to  the  knee-joints  which  so  well  becomes  an 
efficient  and  self-confident  officer. 

But  the  truculent  Mr.  Becker  had  paid  no  such 
trivial  compliment  to  the  intelligence  of  the  men; 

30 


Sinful    Peck 

he  paid  a  stronger  at  midnight,  when  he  sent  the 
sleepy  Mr.  Brown  back  to  his  room  for  his  revolver, 
enjoining  upon  him  never  to  leave  it  out  of  his 
reach.  "  For  ye've  got  a  crowd,"  he  added,  "  that 
fear  neither  man,  God,  or  devil,  but  they  do  fear  a 
gun.  Show  it  occasionally,  an'  use  it  if  necessary, 
or  some  o'  these  nights  I'll  come  on  deck  an'  find  ye 
gone." 

"What's  happened,  Mr.  Becker?"  asked  the 
second  mate  when  he  had  returned  with  his 
pistol. 

"  Nothin',"  said  the  mate,  in  a  low  voice,  with  a 
suspicious  glance  at  Poopdeck,  at  the  wheel;  "but 
that  don't  mean  nothin',  by  a  long  sight.  They've 
dropped  into  line  like  the  best  crew  there  ever  was, 
but — the  skipper  told  ye,  didn't  he?" 

"Yes,  sir,  the  Almends  crew;  but  they  seem  to 
be  quiet,  well-behaved  old  men,  now." 

"Yes,  quiet  and  well-behaved — just  now.  But 
did  you  notice  them  all  day  long — how  sore  their 
hands  got?  They're  not  used  to  the  work  lately. 
Lived  ashore,  I  take  it,  for  some  time;  an'  they'll 
make  trouble  over  this,  sooner  or  later.  The  skip- 
per's worried,  but  there's  only  one  thing  for  you 
an'  me  to  do — carry  it  through.  We're  the  mates, 


Sinful    Peck 

they're  the  crew,  an'  we  only  know  that  much. 
Don't  listen  to  any  arguments." 

"All  right,  sir." 

"An'  stand  your  watch  on  the  poop.  Let  the 
bosun  tend  to  things  forrard,  an'  if  you  want 
me  or  the  skipper,  stamp  on  the  deck  over  our 
heads." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  And  don't  let  'em  forget  that  you're  heeled ;  an' 
don't  hesitate  to  shoot  if  they  make  a  break." 

"All  right,  sir." 

"Course  east  by  south.  Wind's  haulin'  to  the 
s'uthard." 

"East  by  south,  sir." 

The  mate  went  below,  and  during  his  watch  Mr. 
Brown  found  no  occasion  to  change  his  estimate  of 
the  crew.  The  six  nondescript  landsmen  in  his 
watch  were  like  all  such — very  much  in  their  own 
and  others'  way ;  but  the  seven  of  evil  repute  were 
quite  up  to  his  description  of  them — quiet,  well- 
behaved  old  men,  intelligent  and  respectful,  and, 
aside  from  their  involuntary  wincing  as  their  in- 
flamed hands  gripped  the  ropes  that  they  pulled, 
as  efficient  a  watch  as  the  hardiest  of  seasoned 
sailors.  They  knew  the  ropes,  knew  the  calls,  and 

32 


Sinful    Peck 

even  anticipated  a  great  many  of  the  second  mate's 
orders. 

And  so  he  reported  to  the  captain  in  the  morning ; 
but  the  captain  so  far  overruled  the  judgment  as  to 
call  the  broken-down  Benson  aft  at  one  bell,  bathe 
him,  clothe  him  from  the  slop-chest,  then  arm  him, 
and  give  him  instructions  similar  to  those  given  Mr. 
Brown  by  Mr.  Becker. 

Yet,  at  noon,  probably  inspired  by  the  sight  of 
Mr.  Benson's  new  clothes,  the  whole  shivering  crew, 
twenty-three  men,  without  Sinful,  Seldom,  and  the 
helmsman,  came  aft  with  a  peaceful  front,  and  re- 
spectfully requested  Captain  Jackson  to  sell  them 
slops  against  their  wages  —  thus  indicating  their 
present  submission,  at  least.  Captain  Jackson  was 
obliging  to  the  extent  of  his  power ;  he  was  glad  to 
sell,  but,  not  having  enough  of  any  one  garment  to 
go  around,  he  could  only  deliver  the  store  of  cloth- 
ing to  them  in  a  lump,  chargeable  against  the 
twenty-four  men  as  a  whole,  and  advise  them  to  be 
brotherly  and  share  with  one  another.  They  took 
the  clothing  forward,  and  divided  up  as  they  could. 

And  so  the  big  ship  sailed  over  on  the  first  leg  of 
the  long  Atlantic  zigzag,  each  day  driving  the  right 
of  might  deeper  into  the  hearts  and  brains  of  these 
a  33 


Sinful    Peck 

men,  and  by  the  time  the  northeast  trade  was 
reached  things  were  running  smoothly.  Mr.  Ben- 
son, though  testy  of  temper  and  tremulous  of  voice, 
had  developed  into  a  capable  member  of  the  after- 
guard, wise  in  his  judgment  of  wind  and  weather 
and  skilful  in  the  planning  of  work;  Seldom  Hel- 
ward,  at  the  respectful  petition  of  Poopdeck  and 
Bigpig,  and  on  his  promise  of  good  behavior,  had 
been  released  from  irons  and  placed  in  the  port 
watch ;  and  Sinful  Peck  had  so  far  recovered  as  to 
be  of  use  at  light  tasks  with  palm-and-needle. 

But  Sinful's  cheerfulness  had  deserted  him,  and 
his  girth  was  perceptibly  less — the  last  possibly  due 
to  his  melancholy,  but  more  probably  to  the  fore- 
castle diet,  which  was  not  fattening.  And  his 
moodiness,  too,  though  possibly  the  thoughtful 
habit  of  mind  often  induced  by  bitter  experience 
.with  buckshot,  was  more  probably  due  to  the  an- 
tagonism of  his  fellows.  Even  as  they  had  care- 
fully picked  the  last  leaden  globule  from  his  tissue, 
and  nursed  him  to  health  as  they  would  a  sick  mule, 
so  now  they  reviled  him  and  cursed  him  as  earnestly 
as  they  might  the  same  mule  when  past  the  need  of 
pity.  Yet  Sinful  maintained  the  moral  strength 
which,  with  the  unwitting  co  -  operation  of  Mr. 

34 


Sinful    Peck 

Brown,  made  it  possible  later  for  these  men  to  win 
their  point. 

The  captain,  the  first  and  the  third  mate,  though 
abating  not  one  whit  of  their  dignity  as  masters  of 
the  situation,  were  scrupulously  careful  not  to  pro- 
voke the  crew  unnecessarily.  Mr.  Brown,  on  the 
contrary,  became  a  victim  to  his  incomplete  early 
estimate  of  them.  He  had  successfully  assaulted 
Sinful  in  the  beginning;  later  he  found  occasion  to 
assault  the  landsman  of  his  watch;  then,  dropping 
easily  into  the  habit  of  a  good  second  mate,  he  in- 
cautiously planted  his  fist  between  the  shoulder- 
blades  of  Gunner  Meagher  one  night  as  Gunner  was 
passing — too  slowly,  in  Mr.  Brown's  opinion — on  his 
way  to  the  wheel. 

He  admitted  later  that  he  had  no  real  knowledge 
of  what  happened.  He  had  not  thought  of  using 
his  pistol  until  the  last  glimmer  of  consciousness 
was  leaving  him,  and  when  he  came  to  his  senses 
afterwards,  flat  on  his  back  in  the  alley,  unable  to 
tell  which  part  of  his  body  hurt  the  most,  the  pistol 
was  gone  from  his  pocket.  There  were  men  coming 
towards  him  from  the  poop-steps  and  another  from 
aft,  evidently  the  man  who  had  had  the  wheel. 
Rising  unsteadily,  with  his  hand  still  in  his  empty 

35 


Sinful    Peck 

pocket,  he  saw  these  men  halt  in  their  tracks,  and 
realized,  dazed  as  he  was,  that  his  loss  of  the  pistol 
was  unknown  to  them. 

"  Down  off  the  poop  wi'  you!"  he  yelled,  his  hand 
still  in  his  pocket,  and  they  obeyed  him,  the  man 
from  the  wheel  hurrying  by  him  with  head  averted, 
as  though  fearing  a  blow.  First  assuring  himself 
that  Gunner  was  at  the  wheel,  he  rapped  on  the  deck 
over  the  mate's  head,  and,  when  he  appeared,  ex- 
plained to  him.  The  mate  listened,  and  called  the 
captain  and  third  mate.  While  waiting  for  them 
the  two  searched  the  alley,  but  found  no  pistol. 

It  was  no  time  for  recrimination:  there  was  a 
loaded  pistol  at  large,  and  when  the  captain  had 
slipped  another  into  the  hand  of  the  second  mate 
they  marched  aft  to  interview  the  helmsman. 

"Hands  up!"  ordered  the  captain,  sternly,  as  he 
covered  Gunner  with  his  revolver.  "Take  the 
wheel,  Mr.  Benson"  ;  and  as  the  third  mate  caught 
the  spinning  spokes  Gunner  meekly  raised  his 
hands.  "Go  through  him,  Mr.  Becker.  Get  that 
gun,  first  thing." 

"I  have  no  gun,  gentlemen,"  said  Gunner,  bro- 
kenly. 

"Shut  up!     Search  him  well,  Mr.  Becker." 
36 


Sinful    Peck 

"No  gun  here,  sir,"  answered  the  mate,  after  he 
had  felt  all  around  in  the  clothing  of  Gunner. 

"  I  repeat,  gentlemen,  I  have  no  gun.  If,  as  I 
surmise,  Mr.  Brown's  pistol  is  missing,  I  can  only 
suggest  that  it  fell  from  his  pocket  a  few  moments 
ago;  but  I  did  not  see  it.  I  fear  that  if  I  had  he 
would  not  be  standing  erect  now.  I  am  glad  that 
it  is  so.  I  am  very  sorry — for — for  my  unseemly 
rage ;  but  I  had  not  been  struck  for  years — in  fact, 
since  the  voyage  of  the  Almena,  captain — and  I 
lost  control  of  myself.  I  sincerely  beg  Mr.  Brown's 
pardon." 

Mr.  Brown  gasped.  Such  an  attitude  of  mind  in 
a  sailor  was  beyond  his  experience,  and  they  were 
silent  while  they  stared  at  Gunner.  Then  the  cap- 
tain spoke.  "What  the  devil  are  you — a  prize- 
fighter or  a  preacher?" 

"  I  am — captain — but — if  you  will  pardon  me,  I 
prefer  giving  no  details  regarding  myself." 

"  Take  the  wheel  again." 


V 


GUNNER  took  the  spokes  from  the  third  mate, 
and  the  party  mustered  in  the  weather  alley, 
where  they  all  remained,  speculating  on  the  situa- 
tion, until  morning.  The  men  were  not  disturbed, 
only  as  they  were  counted  and  ordered  to  relieve 
the  wheel  and  lookout  in  the  usual  way  when  they 
came  aft  at  the  change  of  watches ;  but  the  two  men 
who  relieved  the  wheel  at  four  and  six  o'clock  were 
searched  for'the  missing  pistol,  and  the  lee  alley  was 
gone  over  again  at  daylight,  to  no  avail.  At  seven 
bells  all  were  called  aft,  and  the  armed  after- 
guard scowled  down  on  them  from  the  top  of  the 
house.  In  language  terse  and  expressive  the  cap- 
tain explained  that  the  pistol  must  be  given  up  or 
there  would  be  trouble. 

"  We  don't  know  anything  about  that  pistol,  cap- 
tain," said  Bigpig,  "and  did  not  hear  of  it  until 
Gunner  came  forward  at  eight  bells.  But  you 
know  us  pretty  well,  captain — -you  know  that  if 

38 


Sinful    Peck 

we  got  that  gun  there' d  be  something  doing  before 
this.  I  admit,  candidly,  that  I  was  one  of  those 
who  came  aft  to  help  Gunner.  I  only  wish  I'd  laid 
hands  on  it.  Gunner  here  is  the  only  one  who 
might  not  have  used  it,  and  he  didn't  get  it.  If  he 
had  he'd  ha'  given  it  back.  That's  the  kind  of  man 
Gunner  is,  these  days." 

"That  will  do!"  ordered  the.  captain,  sternly. 
Then  he  studied  the  upturned  faces  beneath 
him. 

"  Until  that  pistol  is  produced,"  he  said  at  last, 
"  you  will  be  kept  up  in  your  afternoon  watch,  and 
you  will  be  worked  through  the  night  watches  by 
lantern-light.  You  will  also  be  put  upon  the  allow- 
ance ;  and  you  know  what  that  means — practically 
starvation." 

Then  up  spoke  Sinful  Peck.  "  Which  allowance 
do  you  mean,  captain;  the  new  or  the  old?" 

"You  will  get  your  three  quarts  of  water,  your 
pound  of  beef  and  bread,  your  pea-soup  and  cod- 
fish; no  more.  Go  forrard,  the  pack  of  you!"  an- 
swered the  captain,  impatiently.  But  Sinful  was 
not  satisfied. 

"You're  quoting  the  old  whack,  captain,"  he 
said,  "and  the  law  of  ninety-eight  has  substituted 

39 


Sinful    Peck 

a  much  better.  If  you  put  us  on  the  government 
allowance,  you'll  have  to  give  us  pie — 

"  That's  enough !"  interrupted  the  captain.  "  Go 
forrard!" 

"  It's  not  enough,  captain.  There's  a  new  scale 
of  provisions  provided  by  law,  and  I  demand  it. 
There  're  four  quarts  of  water  allowed  per  man; 
there's  a  pound  and  a  half  of  fresh  bread  a  day,  be- 
sides half  a  pound  of  hardtack  and  half  a  pound  of 
flour.  There  're  canned  goods,  and  dried  fruit,  and 
pickles,  and  good  coffee.  There's  a  scale  of  pro- 
visions good  enough  for  a  longshoremen's  boarding- 
house,  and  I  demand  it  for  this  crew.  I  demand 
pie  three  times  a  week,  for  there's  an  allowance  of 
an  ounce  of  lard  a  day,  which  can't  be  used  up  ex- 
cept in  pie-crust.  And  there's  a  penalty,  Captain 
Jackson,  of  from  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar  a  day  for 
each  man  of  your  crew  deprived  of  any  part  of  this 
allowance." 

"Shut  up,  you  fo'castle  lawyer!"  said  the  as- 
tounded captain. 

"I  will  not  shut  up!"  replied  Sinful,  excitedly. 
"I  have  a  right  to  speak.  I  have  been  assaulted 
illegally  aboard  this  ship,  and  for  that,  Captain 
Jackson,  you  and  your  second  mate  shall  serve  from 

40 


Sinful    Peck 

three  months  to  two  years  in  jail,  as  sure  as  you 
live  to  be  tried.  There  is  no  alternative  of  fine  in 
the  amendment,  which  I  quoted  at  the  time.  Also, 
captain,  you  will  be  mulcted  to  the  tune  of  a  hun- 
dred dollars  for  not  providing  a  suitable  slop- 
chest  and  a  safe  and  warm  forecastle.  Both  fore- 
castles are  leaky,  and  the  doors  open  forward. 
Every  sea  comes  in.  Section  forty-five  hundred 
and  seventy -two  of  the  Revised  Statutes  is 
amended — 

"Will  you  shut  up  and  get  forrard?"  roared  the 
enraged  captain.  "Any  more  o'  this,  and  I'll  put 
you  in  irons!" 

"So  much  the  worse  for  you  if  you  do,  Captain 
Jackson,"  answered  Sinful,  bravely;  "and  right 
here,  captain,  I  make  a  formal  request  for  one  suit 
of  woollen  clothing  provided  by  law  from  the  slop- 
chest.  These  thieves  beside  me  have  stolen  my 
clothes." 

A  few  of  the  "thieves" — all  of  whom  had  been 
regarding  him  with  wonder — frowned  sternly  at 
him  now,  but  most  faces  took  on  a  grin.  It  was 
somewhat  contagious,  though  Mr.  Benson  remained 
immune. 

"I  will  consider  your  request  and  all  that  you 
41 


Sinful    Peck 

have  said,"  said  the  captain.  "But  I  say  to  you 
again,  Go  forrard  at  once." 

They  trooped  forward,  and  the  captain  and  first 
mate  went  to  breakfast,  the  former  procuring  a 
pamphlet  from  his  room  before  seating  himself  at 
the  table. 

"  I  heard  about  this  new  law  ashore,  sir,"  said  Mr. 
Becker,  anxiously. 

"So  did  I,"  answered  the  captain,  turning  the 
leaves  of  the  pamphlet ; "  and  if  I'd  expected  to  have 
a  single  one  o'  those  devils  aboard  I'd  have  looked 
into  it.  Here  it  is,  all  here.  He's  right — 'compen- 
sation.' >:  He  read :  " '  For  shortage  in  stores' — um 
— '  to  be  paid  to  him  in  addition  to  and  to  be  re- 
coverable as  wages' — um — '  not  exceeding  fifty ' — 
Listen!  'In  respect  of  bad  quality,  a  sum  not 
exceeding  one  dollar  a  day.'  Let's  see  this  new 
whack."  He  turned  the  leaves  and  read  si- 
lently. 

"He's  right,  Mr.  Becker,"  he  said,  looking  up. 
"It  would  run  a  hotel.  What  fools  got  up  this 
scale?  Why,  it  '11  take  the  profits  of  the  voyage. 
Here,  steward!"  he  called;  and  when  the  steward 
came  he  said:  "Look  this  over,  and  see  what  you 
make  of  it.  How  about  that  pie?"  The  steward, 

42 


Sinful    Peck 

who  had  heard  the  petition  of  Sinful,  took  the  pam- 
phlet, and  the  captain  began  his  breakfast. 

"I  see,  captain,"  said  the  smiling  steward  a  few 
moments  later,  "  that  there  is  plenty  of  fresh  bread 
and  biscuit  provided,  as  well  as  the  flour.  Now,  if 
there  was  baking-powder  allowed,  this  flour  could 
be  expended  in  tea-biscuits,  but  without  it,  and 
with  the  daily  allowance  of  lard  to  be  used  up,  why, 
there  is  nothing  but  as  the  man  said — pie-crust." 

"Pie  for  sailors!"  muttered  the  mate.  "Pie!" 
But  the  captain  said  nothing.  He  remained  in  his 
room  through  the  day,  and  in  the  last  dog-watch 
called  all  hands  aft. 

"  Men,"  he  said  to  them  when  they  had  mustered 
at  the  mizzen  hatch,  "  I  find  that  I  am  caught  foul 
on  this  new  law" — he  held  the  pamphlet  opened  in 
his  hand  as  he  spoke,  and  occasionally  glanced  at 
it — "  and  I  am  not  prepared  to  carry  out  all  its  pro- 
visions— that  is,  not  having  the  stores  on  board,  I 
cannot  feed  you  the  new  allowance,  which  is  much 
better  than  the  '  full-and-plenty'  which  I  have  so 
far  given  you.  The  old  whack  which  I  spoke  of  is 
not  to  be  considered,  of  course.  Now,  I  mean  to 
continue  the  full-and-plenty,  and  I  mean  to  give  you 
watch-and-watch,  and  there  will  be  no  night  work 

43 


Sinful    Peck 

except  such  as  is  necessary,  or  such  as  may  be  given 
in  individual  cases  as  punishment,  although  the 
new  law  says  nothing  about  these  things.  I  grant 
this  of  my  own  accord.  I  am  satisfied  by  this  time 
that  Mr.  Brown's  pistol  went  overboard  in  the  scuf- 
fle last  night ;  also  do  I  consider  Gunner  Meagher's 
explanation  of  his  not  having  been  struck  of  late 
years,  and  his  losing  control  of  himself.  He  got 
the  best  of  Mr.  Brown,  and  ought  to  be  satisfied.  I 
find  that  I,  or  my  owners,  are  liable  to  one  hundred 
dollars  fine  for  not  providing  a  suitable  slop-chest, 
and  for  the  faulty  construction  of  the  forecastle. 
This  will  be  paid  cheerfully  at  the  end  of  the  voy- 
age. I  find  that  both  Mr.  Brown  and  myself  are 
liable  to  imprisonment  for  assault  on  Sinful  Peck, 
and  that  I  am  liable  to  civil  damages  if  I  allow  Mr. 
Brown  to  escape.  I  will  see  that  he  does  not  escape ; 
and  we  will  both  appear  for  trial  on  the  complaint 
of  Sinful  Peck.  Against  this  I  expect  that  you  will 
work,  faithfully  and  respectfully,  as  you  have  done 
—with  the  exception  of  Sinful  Peck." 

It  was  a  manly  speech;  the  men  were  certainly 
impressed.  They  looked  at  one  another,  and  then 
Bigpig  spoke. 

"  That  is  all  right,  captain,"  he  said,  "  as  far  as  it 
44 


Sinful    Peck 

goes.  If  we  are  to  finish  the  voyage  the  grub  and 
the  forecastle  are  small  matters,  and  further  assault 
might  be  met  with  on  the  spot,  without  waiting  for 
the  courts  to  act ;  but  does  the  new  law  say  anything 
about  taking  men  to  sea  against  their  wishes?" 

"Nothing  at  all;  neither  is  it  changed  in  regard 
to  mutiny,  or  resistance  to  assault.  If  assaulted, 
your  redress  is  in  the  courts:  resistance  at  sea  is 
mutiny,  and  you  can  be  shot.  We  will  shoot  you 
if  you  mutiny.  And  in  the  case  of  Sinful  Peck,  he 
had  best  understand  that  our  punishment  for  as- 
saulting him  is  already  earned  and  will  be  no  heavier 
if  the  assault  is  repeated.  He  has  eaten  his  cake." 

"  We  care  nothing  for  Sinful  nor  his  troubles,  cap- 
tain. He  signed  for  the  voyage ;  we  did  not.  We're 
old  men,  not  overfond  of  scrapping,  and  we  mean 
to  take  this  matter  into  court  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. Just  the  same,  you  can  consider  that  it  is 
your  being  armed  that  induces  us  to  this  submis- 
sion. We  accept  the  situation  under  protest." 

' '  Your  protest  will  go  into  the  official  log.  If  you 
have  nothing  more  to  say,  you  may  go  forward." 

They  went  forward,  and  the  captain  turned  to  his 
officers. 

"  Whether  or  not  they  have  that  pistol,  it  is  the 
45 


Sinful    Peck 

only  course  to  take.  They  are  intelligent  men,  able 
to  make  trouble.  We  know  that  well.  The  consul 
at  Singapore  can  do  nothing  but  order  their  dis- 
charge. Well,  men  are  plenty  there  and  wages  low. 
If  they  want  to  stay,  work  them  up  until  they  are 
glad  to  desert,  but  treat  them  well  until  then — that 
is—  Well,  Mr.  Brown,  you  are  going  to  jail.  I  con- 
sign Sinful  Peck  to  your  care  until  then." 

"  All  right,  sir."     And  the  second  mate  smiled. 


VI 


THE  experiences  of  Sinful  Peck  during  the  rest 
of  the  passage  were  harrowing  in  the  extreme. 
Shunned  and  snubbed  by  his  shipmates,  hazed  and 
harassed  by  the  officers — a  pariah  among  his  kind — 
he  grew  thinner  and  thinner  as  the  voyage  pro- 
gressed, until  his  rather  small-boned  frame  held 
nothing  of  fat — only  a  knotty  covering  of  muscular 
tissue.  He  was  the  one  man  of  the  crew  kept  up 
in  the  afternoon  watch,  and,  being  a  proficient 
helmsman,  he  did  all  the  day  steering  in  fine 
weather,  his  tricks  on  alternate  days  lasting  from 
breakfast  to  supper- time.  If  there  was  a  particu- 
larly hard  or  distasteful  task  to  be  done,  Sinful  was 
put  to  it;  if  there  was  an  Irish  pennant  (a  stray 
rope-yarn)  hanging  on  a  lofty  stay  or  stretch  of  rig- 
ging, Sinful  was  sent  to  remove  it.  He  was  cursed 
and  kicked  by  the  officers — even  the  superannuated 
third  mate  doing  his  share ;  but  the  secret,  dominat- 
ing attitude  of  mind  which  had  governed  his  per- 

47 


Sinful    Peck 

versity  at  the  beginning  held  him  together — only 
the  fixed,  sullen  scowl  which  had  come  to  his  face 
showing  how  he  suffered. 

As  for  the  other  men,  under  the  masterly  influ- 
ence of  Bigpig  and  Poopdeck  they  did  their  work 
so  well  and  so  willingly  that  there  was  really  no  ex- 
cuse for  criticism  or  ill  treatment,  and  no  apparent 
need  for  the  occasional  ostentatious  display  of  weap- 
ons by  the  officers,  or  for  their  standing  the  night 
watches  so  faithfully  on  the  poop.  Though  the  old 
enemies,  Seldom  Helward  and  Mr.  Becker,  looked 
fixedly  into  each  other's  faces  once  in  a  while,  as 
though  wishing  for  changed  conditions,  no  further 
approach  to  friction  occurred  until  the  ship  had 
rounded  the  Cape,  sailed  across  the  broad  stretch 
of  the  Indian  Ocean,  through  the  Strait  of  Sunda, 
and  up  the  Sumatran  coast  to  near  the  entrance  of 
Rhio  Strait,  where,  among  the  flock  of  native  craft 
beating  out  to  sea,  Captain  Jackson  made  out  the 
presence  of  a  Singapore  pilot-boat,  and  so  informed 
his  second  mate  in  a  voice  loud  enough  to  be  heard 
by  all.  Then  something  occurred  which  shows  that 
human  nature  is  weak,  and  that  fixed,  dominat- 
ing purpose  has  its  limits. 

Work  was  going  on;  the  second  mate  was  on 
48 


Sinful    Peck 

the  main-deck  overseeing  it,  and  Sinful  had  spilled 
some  paint  on  the  deck.  As  the  captain  sang  out 
the  news  of  the  coming  pilot,  Mr.  Brown  was  in  the 
act  of  reproving  Sinful ;  and  Bigpig  Monahan,  pass- 
ing at  the  moment,  stopped  short  and  said :  "  That's 
a  shame !  What's  the  use  of  half  killing  him  ?  I've 
seen  enough  of  this.  Now  quit  it."  Then  he  had 
calmly  twisted  the  belaying-pin  from  Mr.  Brown's 
hand  and  dropped  it.  The  second  mate  sprang 
away,  reaching  for  his  pistol,  and  Bigpig  folded  his 
big  arms.  Mr.  Brown  might  or  might  not  have 
used  the  pistol,  but  he  was  not  given  time.  Sinful, 
his  eyes  streaming  with  tears  that  were  possibly 
started  more  from  Bigpig's  sympathy  than  from 
his  rage,  drew  a  revolver  from  his  pocket  and  shot 
the  second  mate  through  the  leg.  The  officer  fell 
to  the  deck. 

"  You  will,  will  you !"  screamed  Sinful.     "  Drive  a 
man  to  the  gallows,  will  you !  All  right — here  goes !' ' 

He  turned  and  took  good  aim  at  the  captain,  hur- 
rying along  the  alley-way  above  them,  but  missed 
him.  The  captain  turned  back,  evidently  unarmed 
at  this  fatal  moment  when  he  needed  arms ;  but  Big- 
pig,  with  kindling  eyes,  picked  up  the  second  mate's 
revolver  and  covered  him. 
4  49 


Sinful    Peck 

"Come  back,  captain!"  he  called;  "don't  you 
go  below !  Come  down  here !  Quick,  or  I  '11  bore 
you!" 

The  captain  hesitated,  while  the  short,  blue  tube 
in  Bigpig's  steady  hand  searched  his  very  soul; 
then  he  came  slowly  forward  and  down  the  steps. 
And  while  he  came  Sinful' s  strident  voice  was 
calling : 

' '  Down  from  aloft  everybody.     Call  the  watch. ' ' 

The  men  were  coming  down  by  the  running  rig- 
ging and  aft  on  the  deck.  One  bawled  into  the  port 
forecastle,  and  soon  the  watch  below  flocked  out. 
Sinful  tied  the  wrists  of  his  wounded  persecutor 
with  the  lanyard  of  his  paint-pot,  then  joined  Big- 
pig  in  his  menace  to  the  captain. 

"  Not  one  word,  captain,"  said  Bigpig,  "  or  you'll 
be  killed.  We're  in  for  it  now,  though  a  little  sud- 
denly. Submit,  and  you  won't  be  harmed.  Lie 
down  on  deck  and  put  your  hands  behind  you — 
Quick!" 

The  last  word  burst  out  like  the  blast  of  a  trum- 
pet, for  the  captain  had  begun  to  speak.  He 
quietly  lay  down  and  extended  his  hands.  The 
men  bound  him,  and  Bigpig  found  time  to  ask: 

"  Where'd  you  get  that  gun,  Sinful?" 
50 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Found  it — found  it  on  deck  that  night.  Come 
on,  Bigpig  —  come  on,  the  rest  o'  you.  They're 
asleep  yet." 

Forward  were  the  two  boatswains  —  one  just 
aroused — the  carpenter,  steward,  and  cook  looking 
aft  at  them,  but  displaying  no  hostility  in  their  anx- 
ious faces.  Mr.  Becker  and  Mr.  Benson,  asleep  in 
their  berths,  were  wakened  by  cold  muzzles  pressed 
into  their  temples  and  stern  voices  ordering  them 
to  "  Lie  still."  They  were  bound  in  their  berths 
and  their  doors  locked.  Then  the  men  noisily  re- 
turned to  the  deck. 

"  Back  the  main  -  yards,  boys,"  sang  out  Bigpig, 
who  easily  assumed  the  direction  of  things.  "  Bring 
her  up,  Tosser,"  he  added,  to  the  man  at  the  wheel. 
"Keep  the  mizzen  royal  just  lifting." 

In  five  minutes  the  ship  was  hove  to,  and  Bigpig, 
while  the  crew  raided  the  cabin  for  firearms,  secured 
a  deck  bucket  and  sat  down  upon  it,  facing  the  con- 
quered Captain  Jackson,  who  had  philosophically 
struggled  to  a  sitting  posture. 

"Well,  captain,"  he  said,  good-humoredly,  "you 
see  the  unexpected  has  happened.  We  have  charge 
of  the  ship,  and  she's  hove  to.  Now  which  do  you 
think  she  ought  to  do  —  remain  hove  to  until 


Sinful    Peck 

that  pilot  comes  along  or  turn  back  for  New 
York?" 

"Take  the  pilot,  in  the  name  of  common-sense. 
There's  jail  for  you  all  in  either  case." 

"  Not  necessarily,  captain.  The  laugh  would  be 
decidedly  on  you  if  we  sailed  back  without  touching 
at  Singapore,  and  though  there  might  be  complica- 
tions, there  wouldn't  be  any  jail.  Do  you  know 
that  this  crowd  can  control  the  Cleveland  Board  of 
Trade,  and  could  bring  a  pretty  strong  pressure  on 
the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce?" 

Captain  Jackson's  face  was  non  -  committal, 
though  his  eyes  opened  slightly.  The  second  mate, 
lying  in  his  blood,  groaned  a  little  at  this  moment, 
and  Bigpig,  without  rising,  beckoned  to  the  men 
coming  out  of  the  cabin,  and  called  out  for  the  stew- 
ard. They  carried  the  second  mate,  still  bound,  to 
his  berth,  and  locked  the  steward  into  the  room 
with  him.  For,  though  they  had  found  a  large  ar- 
mament, the  steward  might  know  of  other  guns. 

"You  made  a  bad  mistake,  captain,"  resumed 
Bigpig,  "to  think  that  for  thirty  years  men  would 
remain  before  the  mast  helpless  under  the  law.  For 
one,  I  am  master  and  managing  owner  of  a  steel 
steamer  twice  the  size  of  this  ship.  I  have  a  clear 

52 


Sinful    Peck 

case  of  damages  against  you  for  taking  me  away 
from  my  business.  Turkey  Twain,  who  painted 
your  hen-coop  yesterday,  has  been  two  terjns  a 
mayor  of  a  Western  city.  Gunner  Meagher  hap- 
pens to  own  a  few  dollars,  sent  from  heaven,  he 
thinks,  but  inherited  from  an  Irish  uncle,  I  know. 
And"  —and  Bigpig  grinned  —  "he  did  up  your 
bucko  second  mate  all  right." 

"Well,"  asked  the  captain,  "what  about  Sinful 
Peck?  He  admits  signing  articles." 

"And  he  did — to  pay  a  fool  bet  on  Bryan's  elec- 
tion in  the  campaign  of  ninety-six.  You  see,  the 
bet  was  that  he  should  make  a  voyage  with  Captain 
Benson,  if  he  still  sailed  a  ship,  or  with  you,  or  Mr. 
Becker,  wherever  you  were.  We  easily  found  track 
of  you  through  the  Maritime  Exchange,  and  had  to 
wait  two  years  until  you  struck  New  York;  then 
we  all — all  but  two — came  down  to  make  sure  he 
sailed.  He  had  to  pay  a  crimp  heavily  to  ship  him, 
fat  as  he  was,  and  paid  the  crimp  also — that  is,  we 
think  he  did — to  shanghai  us.  Sinful  doped  us  all 
at  a  wine  supper,  and  the  crimp  did  the  rest." 

"Well,  what  do  you  want?"  asked  the  captain. 
"  How  can  we  compromise  this  thing?" 

"  I  don't  think  it  '11  be  hard,  if  you're  reason- 
53 


Sinful    Peck 

able,  captain.  I  don't  suppose  you'd  care  to  sail 
into  New  York  in  irons,  and  have  it  get  out  that 
you  had  the  same  old  Almena  crew  to  handle.  Do 
you?" 

Captain  Jackson  slowly  shook  his  head. 

"  Neither  do  we  care  to  have  it  known  that  Sinful 
shanghaied  us.  We  can  induce  him  to  keep  quiet, 
I  think.  Why,  captain,  he's  one  of  the  best  lawyers 
in  Cleveland.  Cahill  is  a  literary  man,  Helward  is 
skipper  of  a  cracker  ship  than  mine,  but  the  same 
old  scrapper.  Now,  I  think  that  if  you'll  make  good 
the  loss  of  our  money  and  jewelry  in  New  York,  so 
that  we  can  dress  decently  in  Singapore,  and  pay 
our  passage  home  on  the  first  steamer,  why — I'll 
have  to  consult  the  rest — but  I  think  we  can  com- 
promise. Or  we  can  brace  the  yards  for  the  back 
trip." 

"But  Sinful  Peck?  He  shot  Mr.  Brown.  How 
about  him?" 

"  Served  him  right,  but  he'll  get  well.  One  bullet 
won't  kill  a  bucko;  but  Sinful  goes  with  us,  of 
course — that  is,  unless  he  prefers  to  carry  out  his 
bet.  He  made  it  with  Captain  Helward,  and  there 
was  an  alternative  of  ten  thousand  dollars.  How 
about  that,  Seldom?" 

54 


Sinful    Peck 

The  men  had  collected  around  them,  listening. 
Seldom  Helward  stepped  forward,  carrying  in  his 
hand  an  opened  satchel.  There  was  an  ominous 
frown  over  his  hooked  nose  and  ferocious  eyes. 

"  We  can  discuss  that  later,"  he  said ;  "  but  here's 
my  grip,  just  out  of  Captain  Jackson's  room.  And 
all  our  watches  and  jewelry  are  in  it,  and  my  re- 
volver, and  yours,  Monahan,  and  half  a  dozen 
others.  Capt'n,  what  part  had  you  in  shanghaiing 
this  crowd?" 

"  None  whatever,"  answered  the  captain.  "  That 
grip  was  given  me  for  safe-keeping  by  Sinful  Peck 
on  the  first  morning  out." 

Sinful  seemed  to  shrink  still  smaller  as  the  eyes 
of  the  whole  party  settled  upon  him. 

"Then  you  did  put  up  the  job,  after  all,"  said 
Seldom  to  him.  "You  little,  sawed-off  shyster;  I 
don't  want  your  ten  thousand." 

"  And  you  kept  still  about  the  second  mate's  gun 
when  you  found  it,  Sinful,"  said  Bigpig  Monahan, 
with  the  calm  severity  of  a  magistrate.  "  Even 
that  was  wrong.  What  was  your  idea  in  the  mat- 
ter?" 

"To  take  the  conceit  out  o'  you  all,"  said  Sin- 
ful, sullenly.  "  You  flocked  down  to  New  York  to 

55 


Sinful    Peck 

laugh  at  me  just  because  I  hadn't  ready  money  to 
pay  up,  and  I've  got  the  laugh  on  you — that's  all." 

"You  have,  have  you?"  said  Bigpig,  frowning. 
"  Well,  we  have  another  laugh  coming  to  us.  It's 
up  to  you,  Captain  Helward.  Shall  he  go  home 
with  us,  or  shall  he  finish  the  voyage  with  Jack- 
son?" 

"  I  said  I  didn't  want  his  money.  Let  him  pay 
his  bet  as  he  started  to." 

"Very  well.  Now,  Captain  Jackson,  here's  the 
proposition — and  if  any  of  you  men" — he  looked 
around  the  group — "  object  to  any  of  the  terms  as  I 
name  them,  speak  out.  We  will  turn  back,  cap- 
tain, with  you  and  your  mates  in  irons,  and  sail  back 
to  New  York,  buying,  with  drafts  on  your  owners, 
any  stores  necessary  from  ships  we  meet ;  then  we 
will  fight  you  in  the  courts ;  or  we  will  resume  work 
—holding  possession  of  our  weapons — take  the  ship 
into  Singapore  for  you,  and  there  you  will  discharge 
us  all,  except  Sinful,  and  fit  us  out  at  the  best  tailor's 
with  clothing  sufficient  for  our  needs,  and  secure  us 
first-class  passage  home.  You  are  not  to  prosecute, 
or  further  punish  Sinful  for  shooting  the  mate,  but 
you  are  to  hold  him  and  compel  him  to  finish  the 
voyage  to  an  American  port  of  discharge.  In  con- 

56 


Sinful    Peck 

sideration  of  this  we  will  mutually  bind  ourselves  to 
say  nothing  about  the  whole  matter.  Is  it  agreed  ?" 

No  one  had  objected  to  the  terms,  and  the  cap- 
tain studied  their  faces. 

"What  guarantee  have  I,"  he  began — "what 
guarantee  have  you — " 

"You  are  dealing  with  gentlemen,"  interrupted 
Poopdeck.  "We  assume,  Captain  Jackson,  that 
when  not  dealing  with  sailors  you  are  one  also." 

"  I  agree,"  said  the  captain.  "  I  promise  on  my 
word." 

"Cast  him  adrift,"  said  Bigpig,  rising.  "Sinful, 
give  up  that  gun  and  go  in  irons."  Sinful  looked 
wildly  about  him,  but  the  circle  was  closing  in  men- 
acingly upon  him,  and  he  meekly  handed  over  the 
pistol. 

"  Surely,"  murmured  Gunner  Meagher,  "  the  way 
of  the  transgressor  is  hard." 


VII 


r~pHE  captives  were  released  from  the  state- 
1  rooms,  Sinful  Peck  ironed  in  the  lazarette,  the 
yards  swung  under  the  direction  of  the  bewildered 
first  mate,  and  the  big  ship,  gathering  way  under 
the  faintest  of  quartering  airs,  forged  slowly  ahead ; 
then,  as  the  mutineers  trooped  forward,  Captain 
Jackson  leaned  over  the  taflrail  and  vented  his 
pent-up  rage  in  softly  spoken  but  intense  profan- 
ity. The  mate  approached. 

"They  took  charge,  Mr.  Becker,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, hotly,  as  he  turned.  "  They  had  the  pistol  the 
second  mate  lost,  and  shot  him  with  it;  then  they 
got  the  drop  on  me,  and  tied  me  down;  then  they 
tied  you  and  the  third  mate  in  your  bunks;  then 
they  raided  the  cabin  and  got  everything  in  the 
shape  of  a  firearm  that  I  had  aboard." 

"  They  got  my  pistol,  too,"  said  the  mate ;  "  but — 
they've  gone  to  work." 

"  Yes ;  on  my  promise  to  pay  'em  off  at  Singapore, 
58 


Sinful    Peck 

fit  'em  out  with  clothes,  and  pay  their  passage  home 
by  steamer.     Think  o'  the  expense." 

"To  hell  wi'  them,  capt'n;  land  'em  in  jail  for 
mutiny." 

"That's  very  likely  what  I'll  do,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, sulkily ;  then  he  glanced  at  the  listening  helms- 
man, who,  at  the  mention  of  jail,  had  turned  a  calm 
and  reproving  eye  upon  him.  "  But,  you  see,  it's 
this  way,"  he  continued,  raising  his  husky  voice  a 
little  for  the  man's  benefit:  "  I  promised;  and  then, 
though  they  used  to  be  sailors,  they  are  now — that 
is,  the  fourteen  who  did  the  business — ship-own- 
ers and  skippers  and  business  men  from  Cleve- 
land. They  seem  to  be  influential  men  at 
home." 

"Yes,  capt'n,"  came  a  voice  from  the  lazarette 
below,  "  and  there's  where  the  fun  comes  in.  Just 
you  put  the  bloody-minded  mutineers  in  jail;  we'll 
make  'em  finish  the  voyage,  too." 

"Shut  up,  down  there,"  said  the  mate;  and  the 
voice  subsided.  Then  the  third  mate  appeared,  his 
watery  eyes  blinking  in  anxiety. 

"  Mr.  Brown's  in  a  bad  way,  sir,"  he  said  to  the 
captain.  "It's  risky,  this  hot  weather.  What's 
happened,  sir?  He  can't  talk  straight." 

59 


Sinful    Peck 

"  I  forgot  him!"  exclaimed  the  captain,  hurrying 
away. 

"Mutiny,  Mr.  Benson,"  said  the  first  mate  in 
answer  to  the  other's  query.  "Had  charge  for  a 
while,  and  the  skipper  made  terms  with  'em.  But 
it's  mutiny,  just  the  same,  and  that  means  jail." 

The  mate  chuckled,  and  again  the  man  at  the 
wheel  turned  his  reproving  gaze  around ;  then,  put- 
ting his  hands  to  his  mouth,  the  man  bawled : 

"  Bigpig,  lay  aft,  here;  I  want  to  talk  to  you." 

"Here — here!"  roared  the  astounded  first  mate. 
"  What's  this— " 

"  That  will  do,  now — that  will  do  /"  interrupted  the 
helmsman,  patting  the  air  in  Mr.  Becker's  direction. 
"I  believe  the  time  is  past  when  loud  language  is 
needed  from  you.  Be  still." 

The  mate  glared  hard  at  him,  but  subsided.  Then 
Bigpig  Monahan  lifted  his  giant  frame  up  the  poop- 
steps  and  lumbered  aft  by  the  weather  alley — an- 
other insult  to  the  traditions  of  the  sea — and  with 
his  hand  on  the  butt  of  a  pistol  in  his  trousers 
pocket,  and  his  distorted  eye  shifting  curiously 
from  one  to  the  other,  said  to  the  helmsman, 
"What's  up,  Tosser?" 

"Just  this,  Monahan.  I  was  at  the  wheel,  here, 
60 


Sinful    Peck 

and  didn't  take  a  hand ;  so  I  only  know  what  you've 
bargained  for  by  what  these  men  say.  They're 
going  to  jail  us  all  for  mutiny.  Better  have  things 
down  in  black  and  white." 

Bigpig  mused  a  few  moments,  then  answered: 
"  Reckon  that's  so.  He  gave  his  word  of  honor,  all 
right,  but  then — he's  only  a  poor,  ignorant,  forget- 
ful salt-water  skipper.  Where  is  he?" 

The  captain  emerged  from  the  after-companion 
at  this  juncture,  and  Bigpig  said  to  him:  "Hear 
you're  going  to  jail  us  for  mutiny.  Now,  no  use 
talking" — he  raised  his  voice  as  the  captain  started 
to  speak — "  get  out  your  official  log  and  enter  in  it 
that  we  men  are  exempt  from  the  charge  of  mutiny 
and  piracy." 

"  If  you  doubt  my  given  word,"  said  Captain 
Jackson,  angrily,  "  let  me  inform  you  that  such  an 
entry  will  not  hold  good  against  your  names  on  the 
articles  and  your  being  in  my  forecastle.  Under 
the  law  you  are  sailors  or  passengers." 

"We  are  passengers." 

"  Then  if  you  are  passengers  you  cannot  collect 
wages  for  the  passage  out,  and  I  save  that  much  for 
my  owners." 

"  To  the  devil  with  your  wages,"  said  Bigpig,  con- 
61 


Sinful    Peck 

temptuously.  "Eighteen  dollars  a  month!  We 
wouldn't  kick  for  clothes  only  to  look  decent  while 
we  are  drawing  on  our  home  banks." 

"  Very  well.  Down  it  goes,  and  we'll  all  sign  it." 
The  official  log — excellent  evidence  in  court — was 
produced,  and  in  it  was  stated  that  thirteen  of  the 
ship's  people,  whose  names  were  on  the  articles  as 
sailors,  were,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  passen- 
gers assisting  to  take  the  ship  into  Singapore ;  that 
they  were  not  punishable  for  mutiny,  but  were  not 
entitled  to  collect  wages,  or  other  emoluments,  from 
the  ship ;  that  Captain  Jackson  was  to  fit  them  out 
with  good  clothing  at  Singapore  and  pay  their  pas- 
sage to  San  Francisco,  and — this  an  after- thought  of 
Bigpig's — pay  their  hotel  bills  and  keep  them  sup- 
plied with  moderate  spending  money  while  waiting 
for  the  banks  to  cash  their  drafts,  in  lieu  of  the 
wages  which  they  relinquished.  But,  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  the  sceptical  Mr.  Becker,  the  captain  insisted 
on  amending  the  last  clause  to  read  that  his  liability 
for  board  and  spending  money  should  cease  if  the 
banks  should  refuse  to  honor  the  drafts.  To  this 
Bigpig  agreed,  and  when  the  captain  and  the 
two  mates  had  signed  their  names,  the  others 
came  aft  at  his  behest,  and  the  fair  white  page 

62 


Sinful    Peck 

was  embellished  with  their  euphonious  cogno- 
mens. 

"Now,  send  it  down  here  and  I'll  sign,"  came 
the  voice  from  below. 

"Not  much,  my  joker,"  said  Bigpig,  peering 
down  on  the  speaker.  "  You're  a  shipped  man  o' 
the  crew,  and  you're  not  in  it.  All  you  get  is  the 
skipper's  mere  promise  of  immunity  from  prosecu- 
tion." 

"  But  I  will  say  right  here,"  said  the  captain, 
looking  around,  "  that  the  glass  is  falling  and  I  ex- 
pect a  typhoon.  If  we  do  not  get  in  soon  Mr. 
Brown  will  die  for  lack  of  medical  skill,  and  in  that 
case  my  promise  will  not  avail.  Peck  will  hang,  and 
it  may  go  hard  with  you  all." 

Their  faces  fell ;  and  Bigpig  looked  questioningly 
around  the  group.  One  uttered  the  name,  "Sin- 
ful," and  their  faces  lightened. 

"Sinful's  the  man,"  said  Bigpig.  "Get  him  up 
here." 

"Dr.  Sinful  Peck,"  he  said,  sternly,  a  few  mo- 
ments later,  when  the  released  prisoner  had  scram- 
bled up  from  the  dark  lazarette,  "  how  long  did  you 
practise  in  the  hospitals  before  you  took  up  law?" 

"Three  years,  if  it's  any  o'  your  business,"  an- 
63 


Sinful    Peck 

swered  Sinful,   stiffening  his  small  frame  to  full 
height  and  blinking  his  round  eyes. 

"  Good  enough.  Go  down  to  the  second  mate 
and  save  his  life — or  hang." 

"Goodness  me!"  murmured  Sinful,  squinting 
down  the  hatch.  "And  I  was  so  comfortable 
down  there.  First  prospect  of  rest  this  voyage, 
and  now  I  must  go  to  work  again." 

"No  joking,"  said  Captain  Jackson.  "I  prom- 
ised not  to  prosecute  you,  and  you  were  only  ironed 
on  the  demand  of  these  men.  But  if  Mr.  Brown 
dies,  you  are  up  against  the  gallows.  I  cannot  save 
you.  If  you  have  been  a  doctor,  go  down  to  the 
second  mate.  There  is  a  medicine-chest." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  Sinful,  saluting  in  smil- 
ing, mock  respect.   "  Takes  all  trades  nowadays — 
But  they  bundled  him  off  the  poop. 

He  called  on  the  steward's  assistance,  and  two 
hours  later  soberly  reported  to  Captain  Jackson 
that  the  patient  was  .sleeping  under  opiates,  that  he 
had  set  the  fracture,  that  the  fever  would  probably 
be  under  control,  but  that  the  bullet  could  not  be 
extracted  with  the  appliances  on  board;  it  was  a 
hospital  job,  and  meanwhile  Mr.  Brown  would  need 
his  undivided  attention,  though  the  steward  could 

64 


Sinful    Peck 

be  spared  to  his  duties.  To  which  the  captain, 
anxious  over  his  "barometer,  gave  a  wearied  acqui- 
escence. Then,  procuring  a  stool  and  a  book  from 
Mr.  Brown's  room,  Sinful  seated  himself  in  the 
shade  near  the  forward  companion -door,  within 
sound  of  his  patient's  breathing.  And  at  dinner- 
time, after  the  captain  and  first  mate  had  eaten, 
he  calmly  sat  down  to  second  table  with  the  scan- 
dalized third  mate,  who,  however,  made  no  verbal 
objection;  for  doctors  have  rights  at  sea.  But 
when  he  had  again  taken  to  his  stool  and  book,  with 
his  pipe  in  full  blast,  and  the  steward  had  carried 
the  news  forward  to  the  men  who  had  surrounded  a 
beef -kid  and  eaten  with  jack-knives  and  fingers,  Big- 
pig  arose,  marched  aft,  and  forcefully  kicked  the 
doctor  off  the  stool.  There  was  nothing  said :  Sin- 
ful evidently  knew  the  futility  of  speech,  and  Bigpig 
was  scornfully  mute ;  but  when  he  had  gone  the  doc- 
tor resumed  his  seat  and  relighted  his  pipe.  Dis- 
cipline being  at  an  end,  he  escaped  the  just  criticism 
of  his  legitimate  superiors. 


VIII 

THE  air,  barely  moving  in  the  morning,  was  still 
at  noon,  the  dead  stagnation  only  relieved  by 
the  draft  from  the  courses  as  they  flapped  with  the 
heave  of  the  ship.  There  was  a  yellowish-gray  ap- 
pearance overhead  and  around,  and  the  native  craft 
on  the  horizon,  with  the  blue  rising  of  land  to  the 
southward,  distinct  in  each  detail  at  daylight,  were 
now  hidden  in  an  impalpable  haze.  But  by  four 
o'clock  the  yellow  had  left  the  sky,  leaving  the  gray ; 
and  across  this  gray  from  west  to  east  moved  light, 
feathery,  cirrus  clouds,  while  the  native  craft  were 
close-hauled  to  an  off-shore  breeze  that  darkened 
the  sea  with  short,  breaking  waves  and  increased  in 
fitful  puffs.  Captain  Jackson  again  consulted  the 
barometer  and  called  the  thirteen  aft.  They  came 
and  surrounded  Sinful,  sitting  on  his  stool. 

" Men,"  he  said,  "there  is  a  typhoon  coming  and 
we've  got  to  get  sea-room.  You  are  passengers, 
but — will  you  work?" 

66 


Sinful    Peck 

"Most  certainly,  capt'n,"  answered  Bigpig. 
"Just  give  your  orders." 

"Count  me  out,  gentlemen,"  said  Sinful,  arising 
from  his  stool  and  turning  towards  the  companion. 
"  I  am  on  special  duty."  He  passed  in,  followed  by 
withering  looks. 

"Very  well,"  said  the  captain.  "Mr.  Becker, 
take  in  the  royals,  and  get  gant-lines  and  mast-ropes 
aloft  to  send  down  the  upper  spars,  if  necessary. 
We'll  keep  on  this  tack  and  shorten  down  only  as  we 
need." 

The  job  used  up  the  daylight ;  but  it  was  no  sooner 
begun  than  Sinful  emerged  with  his  book  and  pipe, 
and,  as  they  pulled  and  shouted  aloft,  he  calmly 
smoked  and  turned  the  leaves.  Once,  hot  and 
flushed  from  a  climb  to  the  mizzen  royal  and  down, 
Seldom  Helward  halted  before  him  and  creased  his 
corrugated  brow  into  a  more  than  usually  ferocious 
scowl  as  he  harshly  remarked  that  it  was  a  poor  time 
to  improve  his  mind.  There  were  other  profane 
and  intemperate  expressions  of  disapproval  added 
to  the  remark  as  well ;  but  Sinful  ignored  them,  an- 
swering only  the  first,  and  smiling  sweetly  into  the 
face  of  his  critic. 

"  Never  too  late  to  improve  your  mind,  Seldom," 
67 


Sinful    Peck 

he  said,  turning  the  book  and  showing  it.  "  Navi- 
gation. I  advise  you  to  study  it.  Ordinarily 
intelligent  men  don't  need  it  on  the  Lakes,  but 
you  will  pardon  me — "  Seldom,  with  a  deeper 
curse  on  his  lips,  left  him,  and  Sinful,  still  smil- 
ing, resumed  his  studies.  At  eight  bells  he  climb- 
ed into  the  berth  above  his  patient  and  went  to 
sleep. 

And  as  he  slept  through  the  night  the  men  on 
deck,  drenched  with  flying  spindrift  and  chilled 
with  the  typhoon's  cold,  worked  by  sense  of  sound 
and  touch  for  a  ship  which  they  hated  and  a  man 
against  whom  they  had  mutinied,  because  they  were 
sailors  with  the  sailor's  code  of  ethics,  which  con- 
siders no  wage  nor  reward  in  time  of  stress.  They 
hauled  on  wet,  hard  ropes  against  the  counter-pull 
of  invisible  screaming  devils  aloft;  and  with  clew- 
lines and  buntlines  fast  and  reef -tackles  ' '  chock-a- 
block,"  they  climbed  aloft  in  darkness  black  as  ink 
to  fight  out  the  battle  on  slanting  foot-ropes — to 
clutch  a  handful  of  stiffened  canvas  only  to  have  it 
torn  away,  to  clutch  again  and  again — gathering  in 
the  thrashing  cloths  inch  by  inch,  and  holding  by 
knees  and  elbows  until  a  gasket  could  be  passed, 
shouting  calls  of  encouragement  to  each  other 

68 


Sinful    Peck 

against  a  wind  which  drove  the  words  into  their 
throats,  and  conquering  at  last  by  pure  persever- 
ance, brute  strength,  and  endurance.  By  midnight 
they  had  the  ship,  under  the  three  lower  topsails, 
foresail,  spencer,  reefed  spanker,  and  foretopmast 
staysail,  hove  to  and  taking  the  short,  vicious  seas 
easily,  but  drifting  northeast  into  the  China  Sea, 
with  the  St.  Esprit  group  a  menace  under  the  lee. 
And  by  this  time  there  was  an  able  man  less — Mr. 
Becker  had  fallen  down  the  slippery  poop-steps, 
spraining  one  ankle,  breaking  the  other.  He  was 
unable  to  stand  erect,  and  they  carried  him  to  his 
berth.  So  Sinful  had  another  patient  in  the  morn- 
ing, but  neglected  none  the  less  his  pipe,  his  stool, 
and  his  book. 

At  daylight  sail  had  been  further  shortened  by 
taking  in  the  fore  and  mizzen  topsails  and  reef- 
ing the  foresail ;  but  the  menacing  St.  Esprit 
group,  a  blue  blur  through  the  spindrift,  was 
well  on  the  lee  quarter,  away  from  their  line  of 
drift. 

"We've  cleared  'em  on  this  tack,"  said  Captain 
Jackson  to  the  third  mate,  as  he  turned  his  tired, 
salt- stained  face  to  leeward;  "but  we'll  have  to 
wear  soon.  The  Tambelaus  are  right  in  the  way. 

69 


Sinful    Peck 

Hello !" — he  peered  through  the  glasses — "  there's  a 
steamer — caught  right  to  windward  o'  the  St.  Es- 
prits.  Look.  She's  steaming  into  it." 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Mr.  Benson,  after  an  in- 
spection through  the  glasses.  "  I  can  range  her. 
She's  goin'  ashore  stern  first." 

"Well,  we  can't  help  her.  We  can't  help  our- 
selves if  this  don't  change.  Just  look  at  that  now." 
The  captain  nodded  to  windward. 

A  squall,  thick  with  rain  and  the  spume  from  trun- 
cated combers,  was  rushing  down  upon  them,  press- 
ing the  heaving  turmoil  of  sea  to  a  level,  and  adding 
a  louder  note  to  the  song  of  the  storm.  It  struck 
the  ship,  and  under  the  impact  she  lay  over  until 
the  lee  rail  was  buried.  The  two  gripped  the  quar- 
ter-rail and  sheltered  their  faces  from  the  stinging 
fusillade,  while  Seldom  Helward,  at  the  wheel, 
scowling  viciously,  ground  it  down  with  all  the 
strength  of  his  muscular  body.  Then  up  against 
the  wind  came  his  explosive  voice — "Why  don't 
you  take  that  foresail  off  her?  Want  to  pull  my 
arms  out?  Wheel's  hard  down." 

The  captain  looked  unspeakable  things  at  Sel- 
dom, and  after  a  moment  spoke,  between  gritting 
teeth,  to  Mr.  Benson : 

70 


Sinful    Peck 

"Take  in  the  foresail.  Look  out  for  yourself  on 
the  fo' castle  deck." 

The  officer  went  forward  by  the  weather  alley 
and  Sinful  Peck  came  aft  by  the  lee.  Sinful  was 
clad  in  the  long  oil-skin  coat  and  sou'wester  of 
Mr.  Brown,  and  held  in  his  hand  a  sheet  of 
paper. 

"Well,  what  do  you  want?"  asked  the  captain, 
sourly,  as  the  little  man  struggled  up  against  the 
wind  and  halted  before  him. 

"  Morning  bulletin,  sir,"  answered  Sinful,  backing 
up  under  the  captain's  arm,  and  carefully  screen- 
ing the  paper.  "  Shall  I  read  it,  sir?" 

The  first  violence  of  the  squall  had  passed,  and 
the  seas  were  again  lifting  their  heads.  The  fore- 
castle deck,  where  Mr.  Benson  had  climbed  to  slack 
away  the  fore-tack,  was  a  dangerous  place,  and  the 
captain  was  watching  him.  The  men  had  manned 
the  weather  clew  garnet  and  buntlines,  and  the 
taking  in  of  that  foresail  in  such  a  furious  wind 
promised  to  be  an  interesting  spectacle,  worthy  of 
the  attention  of  Sinful  Peck;  but  he  chose  to  be 
frivolous.  With  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  he  read : 

"Mr.  Brown,  patient  number  one  —  slept  well 
through  the  night,  appetite  normal,  pulse  ninety, 

71 


Sinful    Peck 

temperature  one  hundred  and  one,  respiration  eigh- 
teen, conscience  active  and  self -accusing — " 

"  Handsomely  on  that  fore-tack,"  roared  the  cap- 
tain through  his  hands.  "Keep  that  leech -line 
taut.  More  beef  on  the  'midship  buntlines." 

"  Bullet  not  yet  located,"  continued  Sinful. 

"What's  that?"  demanded  the  captain,  turning 
around. 

"Morning  bulletin,  sir.  Mr.  Becker,  patient 
number  two — 

"Take  it  to  the  devil!" 

"I  have,  sir." 

Insolence  from  a  helmsman  is  sometimes  bear- 
able, especially  so  if  the  helmsman  be  a  passenger, 
big,  and  bad-tempered,  with  a  pistol  in  his  pocket ; 
but  insolence  from  a  shipped  man,  small,  of  frivolous 
mind,  and  unarmed,  is  quite  another  matter.  Cap- 
tain Jackson  reached  for  him  and  caught  the  shoul- 
der of  the  long  coat.  Sinful  slipped  out  of  it,  and, 
dodging  the  captain's  boot,  backed  down  the  slant- 
ing deck,  with  a  mock  deprecatory  smile  on  his  face. 
Seldom,  at  the  wheel,  grinned  exasperatingly,  and 
the  captain  gave  way  to  his  rage  and  followed. 
The  ship  reeled  and  shivered  as  a  mighty  sea 
boarded  the  weather  bow,  and  he  lost  his  footing 

72 


Sinful    Peck 

in  front  of  the  wheel  and  rolled  down  to  the  lee 
rail. 

Picking  himself  up,  he  blindly  pursued  Sinful 
along  the  lee  alley,  down  the  steps,  and  forward 
along  the  flooded  main-deck.  Then  his  attention 
was  attracted  to  his  foresail,  thrashing  over  the 
yard  and  going  to  pieces,  and  to  a  half-dozen  men 
scrambling  to  their  feet  in  the  water,  waist-deep  in 
the  lee  scuppers. 

"Man  overboard!"  gasped  one — it  was  Bigpig, 
half  drowned.  "  It  took  Benson  off  the  forecastle." 
Bigpig  clung  helplessly  to  the  main  fife-rail,  too 
weak  to  do  more  than  cough  the  water  out  of  his 
lungs,  and  another  demoralizing  sea  swept  over  the 
bow.  Out  of  this  deluge  Captain  Jackson  mount- 
ed the  lee  rail  at  the  main-rigging  and  scanned  the 
waste  of  gray  water  to  leeward.  A  yellow  sou'west- 
er showed  for  a  moment  a  hundred  feet  away,  then 
sank ;  but  there  was  no  sign  of  the  unfortunate  third 
mate.  Another  sea — the  last  of  the  usual  three, 
and  the  mightiest — lifted  above  them  and  dropped 
aboard.  It  was  a  Niagara ;  it  crushed  in  the  weather 
side  of  the  forward  house,  but  left  it  in  place ;  it  tore 
men  from  their  grips  on  ropes  and  belaying-pins,  and 
washed  them  about  helplessly ;  it  surged  against  the 

73 


Sinful    Peck 

lee  bulwarks  and  rose,  a  moving  mountain,  high 
aver  the  captain's  head ;  and  it  wrenched  him  from 
the  rigging  and  bore  him  away,  struggling  weakly  in 
his  tightly  buttoned  coat  and  long  rubber  boots. 

A  few  saw  him  go,  but  only  one  was  ready  for 
action.  Sinful  Peck,  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  with  the 
end  of  the  forebrace  tied  in  a  long  bowline  over 
his  shoulder,  arose  out  of  the  washing  water  and 
climbed  the  rail.  Whether  or  not  he  had  prepared 
that  bowline  for  the  benefit  of  the  third  mate  never 
appeared ;  but  it  was  ready,  and  it  was  the  salva- 
tion of  Captain  Jackson.  With  a  ringing  "Stand 
by  to  haul  in!"  he  sprang  overboard,  and  those 
who  climbed  the  rail  to  watch  saw  him  swimming 
bravely  towards  what  seemed  nothing  more  than 
a  floating  oil-skin  coat.  He  reached  it  just  as  the 
men  on  deck  had  cleared  away  the  last  tangled  coil 
of  the  forebrace,  and  they  saw  him  slip  the  loop 
around  the  waist  of  the  drowning  captain  and  ele- 
vate his  hand  as  a  signal.  The  fourth  and  the  fol- 
lowing seas  had  not  boarded  the  ship,  and  in  the 
comparative  tranquillity  resulting  they  hauled  them 
to  the  side,  where  Sinful  caught  the  main -chains  and 
climbed  aboard.  Then  they  lifted  the  captain  up, 
weak,  full  of  water,  but  conscious,  and  some  assisted 

74 


Sinful    Peck 

him  aft,  while  Sinful,  disdainfully  avoiding  the 
hearty  words  and  claps  on  his  back  offered  by  the 
men,  made  his  way  to  his  patients.  But  the  third 
mate  was  not  seen  again. 

"Peck,  you're  a  man,"  said  the  captain,  a  little 
later,  as  he  visited  him  in  the  forward  companion. 
"  But  what  made  you — for  me?" 

"  Dunno,  capt'n.  You  needed  a  few  coals  of  fire 
on  your  head,  I  think;  and  then,  too — perhaps  I 
had  no  right  to  guy  you  over  the  bulletin." 

"Well,  it's  a  pity  there  weren't  more  like  you 
when  the  third  mate  went— poor  devil!  He's  been 
a  good  man  in  his  time,  but  he  was  old  and  weak. 
Now,  I  can't  do  much,  nor  say  much,  Peck,  but  I 
can  save  you  some  trouble.  Want  to  be  paid  off, 
and  go  home  with  the  rest?" 

"  Oh  no,  sir.  If  I  do  I  must  give  up  ten  thou- 
sand, and  I  can't  afford  it.  It's  a  bet,  you  know." 

"  Then  you'll  go  home  in  the  cabin.  I  won't  for- 
get this  in  a  hurry." 

He  offered  his  hand,  which  Sinful  took,  with  a 
new  and  mischievous  light  in  his  eye.  And  when 
Seldom  Helward,  relieved  from  the  wheel  at  eight 
bells,  stopped  on  his  way  forward  with  an  unfamil- 
iar smile  on  his  rugged  face,  and  tendered  him  his 

75 


Sinful    Peck 

hand  and  compliments,  amnesty  and  absolution  of 
indebtedness,  Sinful  declined  all  and  waved  him 
away. 

"Want  no  truck  with  you,"  he  declared,  airily. 
"  /'//  make  good  the  bet." 


IX 


A"?  mid-day,  the  Tambelau  Islands  rising  high  to 
leeward,  they  wore  ship,  standing  to  the  south 
on  the  starboard  tack,  and  making  sail  as  the  wind 
moderated,  until,  as  darkness  closed  down  on  the 
still  troubled  waters,  the  ship  lay  in  nearly  the  same 
position  as  at  daylight,  with  the  St.  Esprit  group 
bearing  on  the  opposite  quarter.  Captain  Jackson 
had  been  scanning  the  nest  of  breakers  to  wind- 
ward of  the  islands  while  the  daylight  lasted,  and, 
when  he  finally  stowed  the  glasses  in  the  compan- 
ion-way, he  remarked  to  himself,  or  the  air,  but  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  by  the  ever-listening  helmsman, 
"All  gone  but  the  bows  and  foremast;  and  they're 
raising  the  flag  and  lowering  it." 

Forward,  men  were  climbing  up  and  down  the 
fore-rigging,  straining  their  eyes  at  the  reef;  and 
after  supper  one  came  aft.  It  was  Bigpig  Monahan, 
sacrilegiously  smoking  a  clay  pipe;  and  he  saun- 

77 


Sinful    Peck 

tered  up  to  the  captain,  who  was  again  staring 
through  the  glasses. 

"  Well,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  faced  him.  There 
was  indignation  in  the  tone;  for  even  passengers 
should  respect  shipboard  etiquette. 

"  People  over  yonder,  I  hear,"  said  Bigpig,  point- 
ing with  his  pipe. 

"I  suppose  so." 

"When  Gunner  came  forrard  he  said  you  saw 
signals." 

"I  did;  they  were  running  the  ensign  up  and 
down;  they're  showing  a  light  now."  The  captain 
again  ranged  his  glasses. 

"Well,"  said  Bigpig,  after  a  moment's  silence. 

"Well,  what?" 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?" 

"What  am  I  going  to  do?"  asked  the  captain, 
angrily.  "What  can  I  do?" 

"  Run  in  and  take  'em  off." 

"It  can' the  done." 

"  It  can." 

"  I  tell  you  it  can't,  and  I  want  no  argument.  I'm 
as  willing  to  save  life  as  the  next  man,  but  I'm  not 
going  to  wreck  my  ship  fooling  round  a  reef  in  the 
night-time.  How  '11  you  get  a  boat  over,  anyhow? 

78 


Sinful    Peck 

How  '11  you  take  men  off  the  weather  side  of  a 
hulk  in  this  sea?  And  how  '11  you  get  back  to 
the  ship  in  the  teeth  of  it  in  case  you  got  that 
far?" 

"We  can  do  it — all  of  it.  You  needn't  do  any- 
thing but  show  a  light.  Your  own  life  was  saved 
to-day,  when  by  your  reasoning  it  could  not  ha' 
been  done.  Sinful's  been  a  Lake  sailor.  So  have 
the  rest  of  us." 

The  captain  was  silent. 

"We  haven't  talked  it  over,"  continued  Bigpig. 
"We  didn't  expect  opposition.  I'll  see  what  the 
rest  say." 

He  went  forward,  and  in  five  minutes  was  back, 
and  at  his  heels  were  the  dozen  other  troublesome 
malcontents — the  helmsman  now  being  one  of  the 
more  expert  of  the  landsmen. 

"Is  this  so,  Jackson,"  asked  Poopdeck  Cahill, 
his  smooth,  distinct  articulation  adding  weight  to 
the  scorn  and  contempt  in  his  voice,  "  that  you,  just 
out  of  the  jaws  of  death  yourself,  refuse  to  save 
those  poor  wretches  down  there?" 

"  I  refuse  to  sanction  insanity,"  sputtered  the 
captain.  "  I  am  duly  grateful  to  those  who  pulled 
me  in — more  than  grateful  to  the  man  who  went 

79 


Sinful    Peck 

after  me.  But  it  is  quite  another  thing  to  attempt 
this.  I  know  it  is  impossible." 

"  You  know  mighty  little,  when  you're  reduced  to 
your  lowest  terms, ' '  said  Seldom,  harshly.  ' '  You' re 
smart  enough  with  a  crew  under  you  that  knows  the 
work,  and  you're  plucky  enough  with  a  handspike 
in  your  fist  and  a  Dutchman  under  it.  But  you're 
the  same  coward  who  shot  Monahan  thirty  years 
ago  for  tapping  you  on  the  nose.  I've  a  good 
mind  to  knock  your  teeth  down  your  throat  on 
general  principles,  you  damned  educated  rat."  He 
advanced  threateningly,  one  powerful  fist  clinched 
and  drawn  back. 

"Steady,  Helward,"  said  Bigpig.  "That's  all 
off." 

"You  are  all  armed,"  said  the  captain,  shrinking 
back.  "I  am  not." 

"Armed  be  hanged!"  said  Tosser  Galvin,  sidling 
around  to  windward  of  the  captain.  "We're  not 
bucko  mates.  Take  that  for  auld  lang  syne,  you 
small-souled  lobster."  He  struck  Captain  Jackson 
in  the  face.  Then  Seldom's  fist  shot  out  and  he 
went  down.  Then,  the  example  being  set,  they 
kicked  him,  struck  him  with  fists  as  he  attempted 
to  rise,  and  unmercifully  mobbed  him  about  his  own 

80 


Sinful    Peck 

quarter-deck,  unmindful  of  the  expostulations  of 
Bigpig,  and  only  desisted  when  he  lay  quiet  between 
the  lee  quarter  bitt  and  the  rail,  with  his  hands 
shielding  his  face. 

"Get  up!"  said  Poopdeck,  sternly.  "Consider, 
if  it  suits  you  better,  that  we  are  paying  off  scores 
thirty  years  old.  We  had  become  gentlemen  since 
then,  but  in  your  ship  have  reverted  to  type." 

"And  that's  entirely  beside  the  point,"  said  Sel- 
dom, as  the  captain  painfully  arose  to  his  feet. 
"Consider  yourself  again  deprived  of  command, 
and  ordered  to  stand  back  and  forth  while  we  go  in 
for  those  poor  devils  on  the  reef.  You  won't  shake 
us  —  you  won't  dare,  much  as  you'd  like  to. 
You'll  keep  the  riding-light  aloft,  and  wait  for  us." 

The  captain  stared  around  helplessly  through 
half -closed  eyes. 

"You'll  pay  dearly  for  this,"  he  said,  thickly. 
"  I  am  master  here  under  the  law." 

"  And  we  are  passengers,"  said  Poopdeck.  "  Don't 
forget  it." 

"If  you  change  my  ship's  course  against  my 
wishes,  you  are  pirates." 

"  Now,  that  will  do,"  said  Bigpig.  "  We  are  life- 
savers,  and  we'll  meet  your  charges  in  any  court  in 

6  8l 


Sinful    Peck 

the  world.  We're  going  to  get  two  boats  out  and 
go  in  to  that  steamer;  and  you're  to  wait  for  us 
with  a  light  up  aloft.  You've  got  a  dozen  other 
men  besides  the  bosuns  and  carpenter.  That's 
enough  to  wear  ship.  The  wind's  going  down, 
and  we'll  be  back  by  daylight;  but  you'd  better 
not  monkey  with  us.  D'  ye  hear?" 

The  captain  heard,  but  made  no  answer,  and  Big- 
pig  hailed  down  the  companion,  forcefully  ordering 
the  steward  to  fill,  trim,  and  light  the  riding-light — 
the  large,  white  lantern  used  by  ships  at  anchor — 
and  hoist  it  to  the  main-truck. 

Then  they  all  trooped  forward  to  the  boats,  and 
two — Poopdeck  and  Tosser— stopped  on  the  way 
and  interviewed  Sinful  Peck,  working  out  problems 
in  navigation  on  an  old  log  slate  in  the  second 
mate's  room. 

"  Want  me  to  go  along,  do  you?"  he  said,  without 
looking  up.  "No;  unless  Captain  Jackson  orders 
me  to  I  will  not." 

"All  right,  Sinful,"  said  Poopdeck;  "but  we 
won't  order  you.  You've  done  well  to-day,  my  boy, 
and  it  goes  a  long  way  towards  squaring  matters 
between  you  and  this  crowd.  We  thought  you'd 
like  to  be  with  us." 

82 


Sinful    Peck 

"  I  don't.  You  are  ingrates  and  blackguards.  I 
refuse  to  mix  with  you." 

"Why,  you  small  shyster,"  answered  Tosser,  an- 
grily, "  you  only  escaped  the  certainty  of  jail  on  our 
intercession  with  Jackson." 

"Go  away  from  me.  I  struck  the  first  blow— 
which  gave  you  the  advantage.  In  return  you 
consigned  me  to  irons  for  fear  I  would  swim 
ashore  and  escape  paying  my  fool  bet.  Go  away 
from  me."  They  went,  and  he  resumed  his  stud- 
ies. 

Forward,  they  were  clearing  away  two  of  the 
boats  on  the  house.  When  each  was  equipped  and 
ready  they  marched  aft  in  a  body,  ignoring  the 
captain  entirely,  and,  ordering  the  wheel  put  up, 
conned  the  ship  while  she  ran  down,  with  yards  still 
braced,  about  a  mile  nearer  the  reef.  Then  they 
again  brought  to,  and,  as  the  wind  and  sea  were 
unquestionably  milder,  even  dared  to  back  the 
main-yards,  not  only  to  stop  headway,  but  to  bring 
an  overhead  support  for  the  after  boat-tackles.  In 
spite  of  the  captain's  prophecy,  it  was  really  an  easy 
task  to  swing  those  two  boats  overboard,  one  at  a 
time,  with  a  man  in  each  to  unhook  and  to  drop 
them  back  to  the  stern.  It  was  done  in  ten  min- 

83 


Sinful    Peck 

utes,  and  with  a  parting  injunction  to  the  captain 
to  "Keep  the  light  lit!"  they  swarmed  down  the 
painters,  six  to  one  boat,  seven  to  the  other,  and 
drifted  astern  in  the  darkness. 


X 


CAPTAIN  JACKSON  watched  them  off,  then 
gave  the  order  to  swing  the  yards  —  not  to 
leave  them  behind,  but  to  bring  his  ship  more  under 
command;  for,  though  the  wind  was  moderating 
rapidly,  there  was  still  an  ugly  sea  heaving  out  of 
the  west,  and  he  was  not  far  from  a  ragged  barrier 
reef.  He  kept  an  eye  on  the  riding-li'ght  at  the 
main -truck,  and  at  one  o'clock  wore  around  and 
stood  to  the  northward,  enjoining  upon  the  look- 
outs to  watch  for  the  boats.  He  was  angry,  exas- 
perated, and  exhausted,  yet  bound  by  a  human 
sympathy  past  his  understanding  not  to  desert 
those  obstreperous  men,  weary  as  he,  who  had 
fought  for  the  privilege  of  a  night's  boat  work  in 
a  heavy  sea  and  a  half  gale.  And  so,  pacing  the 
poop  and  watching,  with  one  officer  lost,  the  other 
two  disabled,  and  Sinful  Peck,  the  one  man  aboard 
able  to  help  him,  sleeping  sweetly,  the  tired  man 
passed  the  hours,  and  at  daylight  hearkened  to  a 

85 


Sinful    Peck 

hail,  faint  as  the  voice  of  a  telephone,  coming  up 
the  wind  from  the  gray  blanket  to  leeward. 

"Shift  over  the  yard-arm  tackles,  Jackson,"  said 
the  hail,  "  and  overhaul  one  and  the  midship  tackle 
down  to  us.  Got  a  heavy  load. ' ' 

"  How  many?"  bawled  the  captain. 

"  None !     Give  us  the  tackles !" 

The  main-yards  were  backed,  and,  the  ship  being 
now  on  the  other  tack,  the  tackles  were  shifted  and 
overhauled  down  to  one  of  the  boats,  while  the 
other  pulled  to  the  stern  and  caught  a  line  thrown 
by  the  captain. 

"Got  there  too  late,"  said  Bigpig,  as  he  climbed 
over  the  taffrail.  "All  washed  off;  but  we  found 
the  purser's  safe — hauled  out  on  deck.  Come  on, 
you  fellows,  and  get  it  aboard." 

They  hurried  past  the  captain,  who  looked  over 
the  stern,  made  sure  that  the  boat  was-  secure  and 
shipping  no  water,  and  then  watched  the  work  go- 
ing on  forward.  They  had  already  lifted  a  small 
safe  by  a  yard-arm  tackle,  and,  when  it  was  high 
enough,  they  tautened  the  midship  tackle,  slackened 
the  other,  and  lowered  it  gently  to  the  deck.  Then 
they  hooked  on  to  the  boat,  the  occupants  swarmed 
up  to  the  foreyard  and  inboard,  and  they  lifted  and 

86 


Sinful    Peck 

stowed  the  boat  in  its  place  on  the  house  as  quickly 
and  as  skilfully  as  they  had  transferred  the  safe. 
By  this  time  some  had  towed  the  second  boat  for- 
ward with  a  man  in  it,  and  when  this  was  aboard 
they  dragged  the  safe  aft  to  the  dry  mizzen 
hatch,  and  Bigpig  called  up  to  the  captain: "  Now, 
we're  played  out,  Jackson,  and  mean  to  turn  in 
after  breakfast.  You'll  have  to  get  along  with- 
out us." 

The  captain  bowed  gravely.  "Go  ahead,"  he 
said.  "I  will  not  call  you  unless  the  ship  needs 
you."  And  then,  to  himself,  "  Helyons,  all,  but — 
they're  seamen." 

They  went  below,  and  the  captain  called  Sinful 
Peck,  who  had  come  out  to  inspect  the  safe,  up  to 
him  on  the  poop. 

"  Peck,"  he  said,  "I'm  dead  beat,  and  must  have 
some  sleep.  Will  you  watch  the  ship,  and  call  me 
if  necessary?" 

"Most  certainly,  capt'n.  Just  give  me  the 
course.  I'll  make  sail  as  she'll  stand  it,  and  steer 
the  course  when  the  wind  hauls  enough." 

"  Due  west  will  answer  until  I  wake  up.  By-the- 
way,  what's  their  particular  standing  in  Cleveland? 
Can  they  make  trouble  for  me  in  the  courts  ?  They 


Sinful    Peck 

mopped  the  deck  with  me  last  night,  and  I  don't 
feel  patient  and  resigned." 

"They'll  make  no  trouble,  sir,"  said  Sinful,  with 
a  smile. 

"  Well,  I'll  keep  my  bargain.  .I'm  to  fit  them  out 
and  send  them  home,  you  know,  and  also  pay  their 
expenses  until  they  can  draw  on  their  banks.  I 
doubt,  though,  that  the  banks  would  deal  with  them 
unless  I  speak  for  them,  and  I  feel  mean  enough  to 
queer  the  whole  thing." 

He  went  down,  and  Sinful  paced  the  deck  thought- 
fully. 

Through  the  day,  as  his  new  duties  and  occa- 
sional attentions  to  his  patients  would  permit,  he 
continued  his  pacing  and  thinking,  with  the  result 
that  when  Captain  Jackson  appeared,  late  in  the 
afternoon,  he  listened  to  a  tale — infamous  enough 
to  have  emanated  from  a  more  sinful  mind  than 
Sinful  Peck's — concerning  the  character  and  local 
reputation  of  the  thirteen  fellow-travellers;  and  it 
thoroughly  impressed  him.  Sinful  told  it  earnestly, 
as  a  duty  deferred.  He  would  save  Captain  Jack- 
son from  further  extortion  and  blackmail,  and 
would  have  spoken  before  had  he  been  in  a  posi- 
tion to  do  so.  The  slander  need  not  be  detailed. 


Sinful    Peck 

It  was  given  with  a  fidelity  to  the  probable  which 
would  have  secured  places  in  the  Rogues'  Galleries 
of  the  world  for  the  photographs  of  all. 

The  captain  believed;  and,  so  believing,  sailed 
his  ship  into  Singapore  harbor,  dropped  anchor, 
and  went  ashore  in  a  native  sampan. 

The  slandered  thirteen,  having  done  their  duty  by 
the  ship  in  assisting  her  into  port,  loafed  about  the 
deck,  watching  the  dozen  landsmen  and  the  boat- 
swains furl  the  canvas,  and  observing  the  changing 
scenery  of  the  harbor,  with  its  quaintly  built  and 
swiftly  moving  native  craft,  its  empty  wharves — for 
there  was  not  a  ship  in  port  but  their  own — and 
the  strange,  Oriental  life  seething  in  the  town  on  the 
shore.  They  washed  up,  and  scoured  their  grimy 
hands  with  sand  and  bath-brick.  They  borrowed 
the  carpenter's  razor,  and  shaved,  giving  their  sun- 
burned faces  villanous  expressions  by  reason  of  the 
white  patches  developed  under  the  three  months' 
growth.  They  swore  volubly  at  the  captain's  de- 
lay, and  finally,  talking  of  their  prospective  salvage, 
mustered  around  the  safe  on  the  mizzen  hatch.  A 
proposition  to  open  it  and  forestall  deception  and 
robbery  by  counting  its  contents  met  with  general 
acceptance.  But  it  was  a  burglar-proof  safe  with 

89 


Sinful    Peck 

a  combination  lock.  They  spoke  of  cold-chisels, 
pinch-bars,  and  the  carpenter's  broadaxe,  but  none' 
would  do.  And  there  was  no  dynamite  on  board. 

"  Here,"  said  Bigpig,  spying  the  observant  Sinful ; 
"here  we  have  it." 

He  collared  him  and  led  him  to  the  safe.  "  Open 
that  lock,"  he  commanded.  "  You're  a  jack-of -all- 
trades." 

"How  can  I?"  said  Sinful,  squirming  under  the 
grip  on  his  collar.  "  I  don't  know  the  combina- 
tion." 

"Find  out.  You're  an  expert.  Get  to  work 
now,  or  I'll  drop  you  overboard." 

With  a  protesting  grimace,  Sinful  sat  down  before 
"the  safe  and  began  experimenting  with  the  movable 
knob.  The  rest  drew  back,  watching,  and  in  a  short 
time  he  threw  open  the  door  and  arose. 

"Thought  you  could,"  said  Bigpig,  as  they  ad- 
vanced. "  How  easy  old  trades  come  back  to  us, 
eh,  Sinful?"  But  Sinful  scorned  reply. 

Inside  the  safe  were  closely  packed  piles  of  Eng- 
lish bank-notes,  tied  up  and  numbered.  They  un- 
loaded the  whole,  and  counted  the  amounts  on  each 
wrapper  as  they  returned  it  to  its  place.  When  all 
were  packed  away  they  stood  erect  with  glistening 

9° 


Sinful    Peck 

eyes,  and  found  the  captain  observing  them,  with 
Sinful  at  his  side. 

"Four  hundred  thousand  dollars  if  there's  a 
cent,"  exclaimed  Bigpig,  joyously,  "and  fully  a 
third  of  it  is  salvage — our  salvage;  for  I  don't  see 
how  you  or  your  crew  can  get  any,  Jackson.  You 
forbade  the  job,  and  not  a  man  of  you  did  any 
work." 

"  On  the  contrary,  Monahan,"  said  Sinful,  folding 
his  arms  with  all  his  scant  stock  of  dignity,  "any 
salvage  which  this  ship  has  earned  will  be  divided 
among  her  owners,  her  master,  and  her  crew.  You 
are  either  mutineers,  with  no  standing  in  court,  or 
passengers,  with  no  right  to  salvage." 

"What!"  answered  Bigpig,  derisively.  "Do  you 
mean  to  say  that  the  men  who  manned  boats  and 
saved  this  pile  will  be  denied  a  share  of  it?" 

"  I  do.  Since  planning  this  voyage  I  read  up 
well  on  marine  law  for  my  own  protection.  Did 
you  ever  hear  of  a  steamship  towing  a  disabled 
ship  into  port  and  sharing  the  salvage  with  her  pas- 
sengers? Why,  you  fools,  we  saved  a  big  steamer 
from  the  Diamond  Shoals  thirty  years  ago.  Was 
our  claim  allowed?  We  had  to  dodge  policemen 
for  a  year.  We  were  mutineers,  and  not  even  pas- 


Sinful    Peck 

sengers.  Captain  Jackson,  myself,  and  the  rest  of 
the  legitimate  crew  here  will  take  what  salvage  the 
owners  don't  get." 

"You!"  exclaimed  several  at  once.  "You,  who 
slept  through  it  all!" 

"I  was  on  special  duty,  and  have  since  been 
made  acting  first  mate.  I  order  you  forrard.  Go 
forrard,  the  pack  of  you!" 

"Wait,  though,"  said  the  captain  to  the  non- 
plussed men.  "  I  have  just  talked  with  the  consul. 
There  is  something  in  the  log  which  bears  on  this." 
He  entered  the  cabin  and  returned  with  the  official 
log. 

"Come  around  me  here,  and  listen,"  he  said, 
opening  the  book.  "As  you  may  know,"  he  con- 
tinued when  they  had  flocked  to  his  side,  "  an  entry 
in  this  log,  duly  witnessed  by  an  officer,  has  the 
value  of  an  affidavit.  It  is  legal  testimony.  Here 
are  all  your  signatures,  my  own,  and  two  of  my 
officers  to  the  matter  above  it,  which  is  to  the  ef- 
fect that  you  are  passengers,  not  sailors,  and  that 
you  are  not  entitled  to  wages  or  other  emoluments. 
Read  it,  all  of  you — other  emoluments.  That  means 
that  you  are  not  entitled  to  salvage." 

They  read  the  fatal  entry  with  blank  faces. 
92 


Sinful    Peck 

"Well,"  said  Bigpig,  clearing  his  throat,  "we'll 
see  what  the  courts  say." 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  fight  you  to  the  last  ditch  and 
win.  Had  you  shown  any  consideration  for  my 
position  as  master  of  this  ship,  doing  my  duty  by 
my  owners  in  forbidding  what,  in  my  judgment  at 
the  time,  was  an  insane  risk  of  property,  I  would 
now  consider  yours.  But  you  did  not  scruple  to 
assault  me — unarmed  as  I  was,  and  helpless — and 
for  this  you  shall  suffer.  I  will  keep  my  agree- 
ment with  you  to  the  letter.  Unless  you  force  me, 
I  will  make  no  charge  of  mutiny  against  you.  Here 
are  orders  on  the  best  clothier  and  furnisher  in 
Singapore  " — he  took  a  bundle  of  papers  from  his 
pocket — "for  thirteen  suits  of  business  clothing, 
hats,  shoes,  shirts,  and  underwear.  And  here  are 
orders  on  the  Hotel  Flannigan  for  board,  lodging, 
and  one  English  shilling  a  day  spending  money  for 
each  of  you  until  the  banks  have  cashed  your  drafts 
or  refused  to  honor  them.  And  here  are  thirteen 
steamer  tickets." 

"  A  shilling  a  day?"  said  one.  "  Why,  that  won't 
buy  drinks!" 

"There  is  no  amount  specified — only  'moderate 
spending  money,'  and  that  is  moderate." 

93 


Sinful    Peck 

"Very,"  said  Poopdeck,  dryly;  "as  moderate  as 
you  are,  captain.  And  what  kind  of  a  hotel  is 
the  Hotel  Flannigan?" 

"A  sailors'  boarding-house;  but  it  is  a  licensed 
hotel." 

They  looked  at  him  with  scowling  faces,  and  an 
outbreak  began;  but  Bigpig  silenced  it  by  raising 
his  hand. 

"All  right,  Jackson.  We  know  you  better  now, 
and  there's  no  use  in  any  more  talk.  We'll  take 
the  whole  thing  into  court,  and  show  you  up,  if 
nothing  more." 

They  went  ashore  in  the  same  boats  which  took 
the  safe  and  the  injured  mates,  and  disappeared 
from  the  knowledge  of  Sinful,  who  moved  his  goods 
into  the  first  mate's  room,  and  took  up  his  duties 
in  discharging  cargo.  A  month  later,  when  ballast 
had  been  taken  in  for  Manila,  the  captain  came 
aboard  one  evening  with  an  amused  expression  on 
his  face,  which  also  held  a  little  of  anxiety. 
'  "  They're  in  a  tight  hole,"  he  explained  to  Sinful. 
"They  were  so  sure  of  their  salvage  that  they  de- 
cided to  wait  and  get  it,  not  knowing  that  the  case 
won't  be  settled  for  a  year.  Their  shilling  a  day 
didn't  last  long,  nor  their  welcome  at  Flannigan's ; 

94 


Sinful    Peck 

for  the  banks  were  suspicious — the  consul  warned 
them,  you  see,  telling  them  the  pedigree  you  gave 
of  them — and  they  sold  their  clothes  and  their  guns 
and  tickets  to  get  money  to  eat.  They've  practi- 
cally starved.  Flannigan  told  me  he  would  ha' 
kept  'em  in  the  usual  way  against  their  advance 
money,  only  there  are  no  ships  in  port.  Every- 
thing has  been  corralled  by  the  government  for 
transports  and  colliers.  And  for  the  same  reason, 
there  are  no  sailors — all  jumped  to  the  Philippines. 
Hot  times  there  now.  I  can't  find  a  man,  and 
that's  why  I  listened  to  'em." 

"  Did  you  ship  them?"  asked  Sinful,  eagerly. 

"  Be  aboard  in  the  morning.  Signed  'em  'fore 
the  consul.  Are  you  up  on  navigation?" 

"Pretty  much,  now." 

"Well,  Mr.  Brown  and  Mr.  Becker  won't  be 
ready,  and  I'll  have  to  leave  'em.  I  found  a  second 
mate  ashore,  and  you  can  sign  on  first,  if  you  like, 
for  the  run  to  Manila." 

"Thank  you,  sir.     I  will,  with  pleasure." 

And  the  little  man  leaned  back  against  the  rail 
shaking  with  laughter,  while  tears  of  happiness 
streamed  down  his  checks. 


XI 


HE  was  a  huge,  loose -jointed,  and  big -fisted 
man-and-brother,  with  a  countenance  positive- 
ly beautiful  in  its  picturesque  ugliness.  It  was  a 
shade  or  two  darker  than  coal,  deeply  pitted  with 
pock  -  marks,  and  held  a  strange  combination  of 
good-humor  and  ferocity.  Over  the  gleaming  eyes 
was  a  perpetual  scowl,  but  the  thick  lips  seldom  hid 
the  yellow  teeth  within,  and  his  moist  and  expan- 
sive smile  was  nearly  as  fixed  as  his  scowl.  One 
front  tooth  was  gone,  and  through  the  aperture, 
even  when  his  smile  was  largest,  he  could  whistle 
a  spirited  music  of  quite  a  good  quality ;  and  as  he 
whistled,  his  feet,  large  and  heavily  shod,  would 
shuffle  spasmodically,  as  though  in  repressed  sym- 
pathy with  the  music.  He  came  off  to  the  ship  in 
time  for  breakfast,  and,  carrying  his  dunnage  in 
one  hand,  climbed  a  single  rope  and  scrambled 
over  the  rail  with  an  agility  seldom  displayed  by 
men  of  his  size ;  then,  squinting  aloft  with  seamanly 

96 


Sinful    Peck 

scrutiny,  he  advanced  to  the  captain,  who   had 
emerged  from  the  forward  companion. 

"I'se  come  aboard,  Cappen  Jackson,"  he  said, 
smiling  benignly. 

"So  I  see,  Mr.  Johnson,"  answered  the  captain; 
"and  I  see  you've  brought  the  articles  of  war  with 
you."  He  glanced  at  a  pistol  and  a  pair  of  brass 
knuckles  strapped  to  the  outside  of  the  heavy 
satchel  in  the  hand  of  the  other. 

' '  Yes,  sah,  I  allus  pack  'em  outside  when  I  join  a  new 
ship,  sah.  Shows  de  men  wha'  dey  gwine  to  get  'f 
dey  doan'  watch  out. ' '  His  smile  grew  in  dimensions. 

"  Well,  that's  all  right,  and  I  need  a  second  mate 
like  you;  for  I've  got  a  crowd  forrard  that  '11  take 
'em  away  from  you  and  jam  them  down  your  throat 
if  you  don't  watch  out.  But  you  might  as  well 
start  right,  as  you  only  go  to  Manila  with  us. 
There's  a  new  law  passed  this  year  which  forbids 
all  forms  of  assault,  and  also  makes  me  liable  for 
damages  in  case  I  permit  the  escape  of  an  officer 
who  is  liable  to  arrest.  So,  don't  touch  a  man 
here  unless  in  self-defence." 

"Why — how,  cappen,"  asked  the  second  mate, 
in  wonder — "how  you  gwine  to  keep  men  at  work 
'less  you  t'ump  'em  round  a  bit?" 
7  97 


Sinful    Peck 

The  Lord  knows,"  answered  the  captain,  a 
shade  of  anxiety  clouding  his  face.  "Twelve  o' 
my  men  '11  stand  anything.  They're  dock-rats  and 
hoboes  shanghaied  out  o'  New  York,  and  have  just 
learned  to  get  out  o'  their  own  way.  The  rest  are 
a  baker's  dozen  o'  Lake  sailors,  old  men  now,  but 
able  and  intelligent,  seamen  to  the  last  man-jack  o' 
them,  and  regular  helyons  if  you  rouse  'em.  Mr. 
Peck  was  one  o'  them,  but  he  saved  my  life  outside, 
and  I  took  him  aft  as  acting  mate  until  the  other 
two  get  out  o'  the  hospital.  By-the-way,  are  you 
a  navigator?" 

"  No,  sah,  but  I'se  a  whole  second  mate." 
"Well,  we'll  get  along,  no  doubt — but  I  want 
to  tell  you  about  these  men,  so  you'll  know  what 
you're  up  against.  They  took  charge  outside  here, 
and  tied  us  all  down;  then  they  threatened  to  sail 
the  ship  back  to  New  York  unless  I  agreed  to  pay 
them  off  at  Singapore  and  send  'em  home  like 
gentlemen.  Well,  I  agreed,  and  did  my  part;  but 
they  chose  to  wait  around  Singapore  to  get  a  sal- 
vage job  settled  in  court,  went  broke,  starved  a 
while,  and  yesterday  signed  with  me  again,  as  there 
were  no  other  ships  in  port  for  them  and  no  other 
sailors  for  me.  So,  there  you  are.  They'll  come 


Sinful    Peck 

aboard  much  disgruntled,  I  s'pose,  but  if  you're  a 
little  careful  with  'em  there  may  be  no  trouble. 
Don't  stir  them  up  needlessly." 

"  No,  sah,  not  'less  dey  needs  it,"  said  the  negro, 
beaming  joyously.  "Jess  de  same,  sah,  I  nebber 
seen  no  crowd  dat  could  down  me." 

"Well,  I've  warned  you.  Here's  Mr.  Peck — 
Sinful  Peck  they  called  him  forrard.  He's  a  rare 
little  man  in  his  way.  He  can  show  you  your 
room,  and  I'll  go  ashore  for  the  men." 

Sinful  Peck  came  out  of  the  cabin,  waddling  a 
little  in  his  walk  from  a  growing  rotundity  due,  no 
doubt,  to  late  immunity  from  manual  labor  and  to 
the  excellence  of  the  cabin  fare,  but  rather  unbe- 
coming to  one  of  his  short  stature.  His  round, 
cheerful  face  lit  up  in  surprise  as  he  viewed  the 
negro ;  but  he  accepted  the  introduction  gracefully, 
and  when  the  captain  had  descended  the  side  to  a 
waiting  sampan,  he  led  him  to  his  room,  and  then 
to  breakfast.  He  watched  him  a  few  moments 
while  he  rolled  up  his  shirt-sleeves,  squared  him- 
self at  the  table,  and  began  shovelling  in  the  rem- 
nants of  the  breakfast  with-  a  table-spoon,  then, 
with  a  grimace  of  disgust,  he  returned  to  the  deck. 

"  Might  as  well  be  'fore  the  mast  with  the  crowd," 
99 


Sinful    Peck 

he  muttered,  "  as  aft  with  that  pig.  '  Mister  John- 
son'— well,  I'll  be ."  He  leaned  against  the  rail 

and  his  face  grew  thoughtful.  "And  yet,  what's 
wrong  with  him?  Muscular,  massive,  ferocious 
— the  incarnation  of  American  buckoism,  brute 
strength,  seamanship,  ignorance,  and  stupidity. 
Great  Scott,  what  development!  He  could  shut 
his  hand  on  any  of  the  crowd — and  they  punched 
and  kicked  and  insulted  me  all  the  way  out.  Let's 
think.  What  'd  the  skipper  ship  that  brute  for? 
Can  I  use  '  Mistah  Johnsing'  in  my  business?" 

Long  and  earnestly  he  mused,  looking  abstract- 
edly at  the  men  forward  enjoying  their  post-break- 
fast smoke,  and  when  the  tinkle  of  eight  bells 
sounded  from  the  cabin  clock  a  smile  had  come  to 
his  face  and  a  mischievous  twinkle  to  his  eye ;  but 
as  he  started  forward  to  turn  the  men  to  he  felt  a 
grip  on  his  collar;  then,  wriggling  and  choking,  he 
was  lifted  from  the  deck,  at  the  end  of  the  negro's 
long,  powerful  arm. 

"Le'  go,"  he  gasped.  "Le*  go  o'  me.  What's 
this  for?" 

"Dat's  all  right,  Misser  Peck,"  said  the  negro. 
"I  jess  want  to  'press  you  wi'  my  quality  'fore  I 
turn  to.  I  allus  makes  first  mates  understand  at 

100 


Sinful    Peck 

de  beginning  dat  I'se  a  mons'ous  strong  man  and 
won't  stand  no  foolin'.  So,  you  see?  Dah."  He 
gave  Sinful  a  shake. 

But  Sinful,  though  fat,  was  agile.  He  twisted 
suddenly  in  midair,  doubled  one  short  leg,  and 
planted  his  foot  on  the  negro's  face;  then  he  ex- 
erted his  strength  and  landed  on  his  back  a  few 
feet  away,  while  the  astonished  assailant  stag- 
gered back,  rubbing  some  deep  scratches  on  his 
face.  But  he  smiled  approvingly  at  his  angry  su- 
perior. 

"By  golly,  Misser  Peck,"  he  said,  "but  you's  a 
smart  man.  Nobody  nebber  kicked  me  in  de  face 
before.  Hoi'  on,  don'  shoot,  Misser  Peck." 

Sinful,  with  blazing  eyes,  had  arisen  with  a  drawn 
revolver,  and  covered  him. 

"  Don't  you  ever  dare  to  lay  your  hands  on  me 
again,"  he  stormed,  "or  I'll  lay  you  dead  on  the 
deck.  What  do  you  mean  by  it?" 

"  It's  all  right,  Misser  Peck.  Put  de  gun  down. 
I'se  got  one  in  my  pocket,  too,  but  I  don'  want  to 
use  it.  I  shot  a  first  mate  in  Savannah  one  time, 
an'  I  had  to  go  to  chokey.  It  took  six  p'licemen, 
by  golly." 

"  It  won't  need  but  one  and  a  wheelbarrow  if  you 

101 


Sinful    Peck 

touch  me  again."  Sinful  lowered  the  pistol. 
"  What  did  you  do  it  for?" 

"Jess  to  show  you,  Mis.ser  Peck,  dat  I'se  de  right 
kind  of  a  second  mate  for  you.  De  cappen  says 
dey's  a  mighty  bad  crowd  o'  men  comin' !" 

' '  Oh — yes — that's  so. "  Sinful  pocketed  the  pistol, 
but  watched  cautiously  as  he  continued.  "There 
are  thirteen  more  —  all  scrappers.  You'll  have 
enough  to  do  to  protect  yourself  without  impress- 
ing me  with  your  strength.  Bigpig  Monahan  can 
do  you  up  in  one  round." 

"He  can?"  said  the  negro,  his  eyes  gleaming. 
"Did  he  say  so?" 

"No,  but  you'll  know  him.  He's  down  on  all 
colored  men.  He's  got  a  cro'-jack  eye  and  a  mild 
way  o'  talking,  but  look  out." 

"Is  he  de  wussest  o'  de  gang,  sah?" 

"Almost.  There's  Seldom  Helward  —  hooked 
nose,  bicycle  face,  red  hair  turning  gray.  Look 
out  for  him.  Tosser  Galvin  is  another  bad  one. 
He's  a  big,  beefy  fellow  —  looks  like  a  butcher. 
These  three  love  a  fight,  but  the  others  '11  drop  in 
when  its  started." 

"Yay — yah-ya-ha,"  laughed  the  second  mate, 
shuffling  his  feet  and  waving  his  long  arms  in  the 

102 


Sinful    Peck 

air.  "Dat's  de  kind  o'  men  I  jess  love.  But  say, 
Misser  Peck,  ain't  dem  funny  names?" 

''They've  all  got  'em.  There's  Poopdeck  Cahill, 
and  there's  Gunner  Meagher,  and  Ghost  O'Brien, 
Yampaw  Gallegher,  Turkey  Twain,  Sorry  Welch, 
Shiner  O'Toole,  Senator  Sands,  Jump  Black,  and 
Moccassey  Gill.  Now,  go  forward  and  start  the 
men  to  work.  Get  that  water-laid  hawser  out  of 
the  'tween  deck  and  coil  it  'longside  the  fore  hatch ; 
and,  by-the-way,  those  are  good-tempered,  willing 
men  forward,  there.  They  don't  need  thumping." 

"Ay,  ay,  sah;  I'll  wait  for  de  bad  ones,"  an- 
swered the  negro,  turning  away;  "but  say,  Misser 
Peck,"  he  added,  coming  back,  with  doubt  in  his 
face.  "  De  cappen  he  say  somethin'  'bout  a  new 
law  dat  you  mus'  not  hit  a  sailor.  How  'bout  dat?" 

"Oh,  there's  a  fool  law  passed,"  said  Sinful, 
airily,  "but  it  can't  be  enforced.  Even  though  you 
should  be  arrested  when  you  get  to  port,  all  you 
need  is  to  demand  a  jury  trial  and  get  a  change  of 
venue ;  then  by  the  time  the  case  is  called  the  wit- 
nesses '11  be  all  off  to  sea  again.  Can't  convict  you 
without  witnesses,  you  know." 

"Is  dat  so,  now?  By  golly,  you's  a  mighty 
smart  man,  Misser  Peck.  How  you  learn  all  dis?" 

103 


Sinful    Peck 

'I've  been  a  lawyer  in  my  time.  Don't  be 
alarmed.  I'll  see  you  clear  of  all  proceedings,  but 
I  expect  you  to  help  me  keep  this  crew  down." 

"Yes,  sah.  I'll  do  that,  sah.  And  so  you  been 
a  lawyer,  has  you?  Well,  I  stand  by  you,  and 
you  stand  by  me." 

"It  begins  to  look,"  muttered  Sinful,  as  his 
brother  officer  went  forward,  "like  hot  times  for 
the  crowd.  Bigpig  won't  be  a  lunch  for  him.  But 
I've  got  to  keep  the  nigger  clear.  I'll  read  up  a 
bit." 

He  went  to  his  room,  searched  it  well,  and 
emerging,  with  a  puzzled  face,  went  forward  and 
searched  an  empty  bunk  in  the  forecastle.  Then 
he  directed  the  men  to  find  and  return  to  him  a 
law-book  which  he  must  have  left  behind  when  he 
moved  his  dunnage  out  of  the  forecastle. 

"  Haven't  seen  it,"  he  said,  "  since  the  first  o'  the 
passage  out.  So  it  must  be  forward."  The  men 
promised  to  find  it;  but  by  the  time  the  hawser 
was  on  deck  a  tug  had  steamed  up  to  the  quarter, 
and  their  services  were  required  in  making  her 
fast.  Then  Captain  Jackson  climbed  aboard,  fol- 
lowed by  thirteen  gloomy-faced  men  in  seedy  dis- 
array— their  clothing  wrinkled,  soiled,  and  sprinkled 

104 


Sinful    Peck 

with  slivers,  as  though  from  sleeping  too  close  to 
mother  earth  and  undressed  planking — and  the 
interest  aroused  by  their  coming  was  enough  to 
drive  thought  of  the  missing  book  from  all  minds, 
including  Sinful' s.  None  had  any  bedding  or  extra 
clothing,  but  each  possessed  a  large  and  a  lively 
sense  of  injury ;  for,  as  Sinful  joined  them,  with  his 
dark  confrere,  they  stared  at  him  sullenly,  hungrily, 
and  enviously,  as  though  his  sleek,  well-fed  little 
body  was  both  an  affront  and  a  temptation. 


XII 


MUSTER  up  around  me  here,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, sternly,  as  he  stepped  upon  the  mizzen 
hatch.  "I  want  a  few  words  with  you."  They 
flocked  around  him  and  he  continued:  "  Before  you 
join  your  shipmates  forrard  I  want  you  to  know 
that  this  ship  will  be  run  strictly  in  accordance  to 
the  new  seaman's  law.  The  ship  is  seaworthy ;  the 
forecastle  has  been  repaired  and  is  warm  and  dry ; 
the  complement  of  men  is  full;  I  have  laid  in  full 
store  of  the  provisions  named  in  the  scale,  and  a 
complete  outfit  of  slop-clothing,  on  which  you  can 
draw  unless  under  punishment;  I  have  forbidden 
my  officers  to  strike  any  of  you,  but  if  one  of  you 
strikes  an  officer  that  man  may  be  shot  dead  as  a 
mutineer.  The  law  is  unchanged  in  that  regard. 
You  may  also  be  lawfully  shot  if  you  resist  going 
in  irons  as  a  punishment  for  insubordination.  Your 
working  and  sleeping  hours  are  not  prescribed,  by 
the  law,  and  are  left  to  the  discretion  of  your  offi- 

106 


Sinful    Peck 

cers,  depending  on  your  conduct.  You  will  find 
me  fair,  in  spite  of  the  trouble  you  have  made  me; 
but  I  shall  allow  no  pistols  or  sheath-knives  among 
you.  Turn  your  pockets  inside  out— all  of  you." 

Silently  and  sullenly  they  obeyed  the  command. 
Every  pocket  in  every  garment  was  pulled  out  in 
plain  sight.  All  were  empty. 

"  That  will  do.  Mr.  Peck,  have  you  anything  to 
say  to  them?" 

"Yes,  sir — thank  you,  captain — I  have.  I  want 
to  say  to  this  gang  of  ruffians,  who  maltreated  me 
while  before  the  mast,  that  I  am  heart  and  soul  in 
accord  with  the  spirit  of  the  new  law — particularly 
as  regards  the  shooting  of  mutineers.  I  want  to 
call  Mr.  Johnson's  attention  to  the  four  leading 
spirits,  so  that  he  will  know  them.  Mr.  Johnson"- 
he  turned  to  the  listening  second  mate,  who  stepped 
eagerly  to  his  side — "see  that  big,  wall-eyed  hood- 
lum squinting  at  me?  That  is  Bigpig  Monahan, 
who  thinks  he  can  fight."  The  negro  smiled  and 
nodded.  "That  hang-dog  tough  behind  him  is 
Seldom  Helward — a  good  citizen  only  when  in  jail. 
Beside  him  is  Tosser  Galvin,  who  can  toss  in  more 
whiskey  without  paying  for  it  than  any  man  in 
Cleveland.  And  the  sneaky -looking  scoundrel  over 

107 


Sinful    Peck 

here,  with  the  look  of  a  pickpocket  in  one  eye  and 
a  barkeep  in  the  other,  is  Poopdeck  Cahill.  Look 
out  for  these  four,  Mr.  Johnson." 

Poopdeck' s  fine  features  reddened  in  anger,  and 
he  said  to  the  captain :  "  May  we  say  a  word  or  two, 
unofficially,  sir,  to  Mr.  Peck,  before  we  begin?" 
The  captain  nodded  consent. 

"Sinful,"  said  Poopdeck,  "when  you  drugged 
us,  your  guests  at  a  parting  supper,  and  shang- 
haied us  aboard  this  ship  in  which  you  were  bound 
to  sail  by  the  terms  of  your  bet  with  Helward,  you 
perpetrated  what  was  a  practical  joke  to  you,  but 
a  wrong  involving  thousands  of  dollars'  loss  to  us. 
For  this  we  hammered  you  well  in  the  forecastle; 
but  when  clear  of  the  ship  at  Singapore  we  were 
willing  to  call  it  square.  You,  however,  chose  to 
carry  it  on.  You  so  prejudiced  Captain  Jackson 
with  lies  as  to  our  standing  at  home  that  he  in 
turn  prejudiced  the  consul,  and  we  found  every 
door,  and  every  ear,  in  Singapore  closed  to  us.  The 
banks  would  not  deal  with  us,  and,  unable  to  get 
our  drafts  honored,  we  suffered  privation  until  com- 
pelled to  sign  in  this  ship  in  which  fortune  has  made 
you  the  first  mate,  with  power  of  life  and  death 
under  the  law.  We  have  resolved  to  do  our  work 

108 


Sinful    Peck 

and  obey  the  law,  but  if  you  abuse  your  power  over 
us,  remember  that  you  have  thirteen  implacable 
enemies  who  will  make  no  appeal  to  law,  but  will, 
when  the  time  comes,  punish  you  with  physical  pain 
that  will  make  you  wish  for  death." 

"And  I'll  say,"  said  Seldom  Helward,  hoarsely, 
when  Poopdeck  had  paused  for  breath,  "that  you 
needn't  abuse  your  power  to  hear  from  me  again. 
I've  camped  on  your  trail,  my  joker,  and  don't 
leave  it  till  I  hunt  you  out  o'  Cleveland,  or  into 
jail— or  hell." 

To  the  credit  of  Sinful' s  sensibilities  be  it  said 
that  he  fidgeted  visibly  under  Poopdeck' s  denun- 
ciation and  paled  at  Seldom' s  threat;  but  before 
he  could  reply  the  captain  spoke : 

' '  This  will  do, ' '  he  said,  firmly.  ' '  You  are  threat- 
ening. Go  forward.  Mr.  Peck,  man  the  windlass 
and  pass  the  line  to  the  tug." 

"  Wait  a  minute,  capt'n,  if  you  please,"  said  Big- 
pig  Monahan,  as  the  group  separated.  "Is  this 
Senegambian  going  out  second  mate?" 

"Mr.  Johnson  is  second  mate  of  this  ship  until 
Mr.  Brown  joins  us  at  Manila.  Mr.  Peck  is  first 
mate  until  Mr.  Becker  comes." 

"Very  well,  sir.  Mr.  Johnson  has  been  looking 
109 


Sinful    Peck 

at  me  like  a  dog  at  a  bone  for  the  last  few  minutes, 
and  I  think  he's  taken  a  fancy  to  me.  Now,  Sel- 
dom's  all  right,  though  a  little  outspoken,  and  I 
can  answer  for  him  and  the  rest  of  us  that  we'll  do 
our  work  willingly,  having  signed  willingly;  but 
it's  up  to  you,  captain,  to  keep  your  man  Friday 
off  our  backs." 

It  may  have  been  the  epithets  or  it  may  have 
been  an  encouraging  nudge  from  Sinful's  elbow 
that  roused  Mr.  Johnson  to  action — or  it  may  pos- 
sibly have  been  his  officer-like  indignation  at  the 
captain's  complaisant  manner  towards  these  impu- 
dent men.  He  sprang  into  the  air  with  an  inco- 
herent yell,  arms  and  legs  at  all  angles,  and  came 
down  close  to  the  startled  Bigpig.  But  Bigpig  was 
not  too  startled  to  parry  the  outshot  fist  of  the 
negro  and  return  with  a  crashing  blow  in  the  face 
which  momentarily  stopped  him,  but  only  in- 
creased his  rage.  Bellowing  almost  inarticulate 
profanity,  the  negro  thrust  his  right  hand  into  his 

pocket,  drew  it  forth  brass-shod,  and  again  charged 

^. 
on  Bigpig — as  large  a  man  as*  he,  fully  as  skilled 

and  courageous,  but  much  older  and  slower  in  his 
movements.  Then  they  fought  furiously,  Bigpig 
quiet  and  cool,  the  negro  in  a  frenzy,  while  the  men 

no 


Sinful    Peck 

sprang  to  the  rail  and  secured  belaying-pins,  and 
the  captain,  with  drawn  revolver,  thundered  at 
them  to  "  Put  them  back."  But  he  did  not  shoot, 
and  they  did  not  obey  him ;  they  circled  about  the 
giant  antagonists,  shouting  words  of  encourage- 
ment to  Bigpig  and  threatening  curses  to  the  negro, 
but  before  there  was  a  chance  to  strike  a  blow, 
youth  and  brass  knuckles  prevailed  over  age  and 
stiffness,  and  Bigpig  went  down  senseless  under  a 
crashing  blow  that  laid  open  his  forehead.  Sinful 
Peck,  pale  and  anxious  of  face,  had  sprung  up  the 
poop  steps  with  his  pistol  ready,  and  the  captain 
now  followed ;  for  with  Bigpig  disposed  of,  the  in- 
furiated negro  turned  to  the  others.  None  there 
could  face  him  as  long  as  had  Bigpig,  and  few  could 
remain  within  reach  of  those  long,  powerful  arms 
for  the  second  of  time  necessary  to  strike  a  blow. 
The  negro  sprang,  dodged,  whirled,  struck  —  and 
as  he  struck  a  man  went  down  —  and  when  at 
last  it  became  apparent  to  his  excited  faculties 
that  he  was  actually  winning  against  them  all,  his 
mouthings  became  intelligible. 

"Forrard  wi'  you,"  he  howled,  as  he  pursued 
them  around  the  deck.  "  You  heah  what  de  cappen 
say,  you  lazy,  good-f'nothin'  sogers.  Go  forrard, 

in 


Sinful    Peck 

I  tole  you,  and  pass  de  tow-line.  Wha'  you  t'ink, 
hey?  You  gwine  to  hab  you' own  way  heah ?  Not 
much,  I  tole  you." 

Slowly  they  gave  way,  and  with  a  man  occasion- 
ally falling  under  his  blows  he  fought  them  forward, 
until,  dropping  their  useless  belaying  -  pins,  they 
grabbed  the  tow-line  at  his  behest,  with  the  fright- 
ened non-combatants  of  the  crew,  and  passed  the 
end  up  to  the  bows.  He  had  "  turned  them  to." 


XIII 

FLUSHED  and  jubilant,  the  victor  came  aft, 
passing  two  men  still  and  bleeding  on  the 
deck,  and  four  dazed  ones  zigzagging  painfully  out 
of  his  path,  and  halted  beside  the  unconscious 
Bigpig,  over  whom  now  stood  the  captain  and 
Sinful. 

"You  haven't  killed  him,  Mr.  Johnson,"  said  the 
latter,  with  a  composed  smile,  "but  better  leave  off 
your  gloves  next  time." 

"Give  me  those  things,"  demanded  the  captain, 
sternly.  Mr.  Johnson,  with  surprise  and  doubt  in 
his  face,  took  off  the  brass  knuckles  and  handed 
them  to  him.  He  tossed  them  overboard. 

"You  can  do  all  I  require  of  you  here,"  he  said, 
"without  manslaughter." 

"Why,  sah,  he  hit  me  fust,"  answered  the  negro, 
in  an  injured  tone;  "an'  den  dey  all  jump  on  me, 
sah." 

"Yes,  I  know  —  he  hit  you  first.  I  saw  that, 
s  113 


Sinful    Peck 

But  remember  what  I  told  you.  Keep  clear  o'  the 
law." 

Sinful  had  slipped  away  to  the  other  uncon- 
scious ones,  and  now  reported  :  "  All  alike,  sir. 
Broken  skin,  but  nothing  serious.  They'll  come 
to  soon." 

"Take  them  forrard,  pass  the  tow-line,  and  man 
the  windlass." 

In  passing  the  tow-line  to  the  tug,  and  getting 
the  anchor  to  the  bows,  Sinful,  whose  place  was  on 
the  forecastle  deck  among  the  men,  stood  well  up 
into  the  knight-heads  with  his  hand  continually  in 
his  pocket.  The  men  must  have  known  that  that 
hand  was  closed  on  a  pistol  butt.  They  worked 
well  in  spite  of  their  hurts,  sullenly  but  respectfully, 
and  only  Seldom  saw  fit  to  forget  his  place.  When 
he  had  climbed  over  the  bow,  and  stood  on  the 
anchor-stock  to  pass  the  ring-stopper,  he  turned 
his  battered  visage  upward  to  the  diminutive  first 
mate,  and  said,  slowly,  through  still  bleeding  lips : 
"This  counts  heavily  against  you,  you  little  viper. 
I  saw  you  start  the  nigger  a-going." 

But  Sinful  ignored  the  speech  entirely. 

Mr.  Johnson  struck  them  no  more  that  day,  satis- 
fying himself  with  jocular  comments  on  their  in- 

114 


Sinful    Peck 

feriority  and  exasperating  praise  of  himself,  which 
the  men  listened  to  without  answer.  But  in  the 
long  passage  over  to  Manila,  which,  from  the  rather 
early  breaking-up  of  the  southwest  monsoon,  the 
consequent  gale,  and  succeeding  baffling  northeast 
monsoon,  consumed  nearly  a  month,  he  found 
many  occasions  on  which  forcibly  to  assert  his  do- 
minion. What  the  captain  thought  of  this  useless 
maltreating  of  willing  men  found  no  expression  in 
his  speech  or  manner.  Discipline  must  be  main- 
tained, in  spite  of  unwise  legislation.  What  Sinful 
thought  may  be  judged  of  by  his  merciless  working 
of  the  men  in  their  watch  below,  and  frequent  as- 
surance of  support  and  encouragement  in  answer 
to  the  negro's  sometimes  doubtful  queries  in  regard 
to  the  power  of  the  law ;  for  he  candidly  conceded 
that  he  feared  jail.  But  the  moral  influence  of  Sin- 
ful sufficed  to  keep  alive  his  drooping  courage,  and 
when  the  anchor  dropped  in  Manila  Bay,  every 
man  forward — even  the  unoffending  boatswains  and 
the  dozen  landsmen — bore  on  his  face  or  body  un- 
healed  scars  and  blue  contusions.  And  with  the 
ship  moored  and  the  canvas  furled,  Bigpig  Monahan 
came  aft,  with  others  at  his  heels,  and  respectfully 
asked  the  captain  for  liberty. 


Sinful    Peck 

" No,"  said  the  captain,  "you  will  get  no  liberty 
in  this  port." 

"I  demand  it,  sir,  to  make  complaint  against 
your  second  mate.  I  have  a  right  to  see  the  au- 
thorities." 

"You  have  the  right  to  demand  to  see  the 
consul  in  a  foreign  port,  but  this  is  now  an  Amer- 
ican colonial  port,  and  I  believe  under  martial 
law." 

"The  Revised  Statutes  give  seamen  the  right 
to  liberty  and  one-half  their  money  at  any  port 
touched,  Capt'n  Jackson." 

"On  the  ship's  articles  there  is  a  clause  reading: 
'  No  money  or  shore  -  leave  at  Manila,  except  at 
master's  option.'  You  have  signed  away  your 
right.  Go  to  your  work." 

The  captain  turned  away,  and  Bigpig,  almost 
black  in  the  face,  went  forward  with  the  others. 
The  captain  soon  left  the  ship  in  a  shore  boat, 
and  late  in  the  day,  just  after  the  passing  of  a 
quarter -master's  tug,  towing  a  lighter  out  to  the 
naval  fleet  at  Cavite,  Bigpig  was  missed.  Neither 
returned  to  the  ship  that  night,  but  in  the  morn- 
ing the  shore  boat  approached  with  the  captain; 
and  with  him  in  the  stern-sheets  were  two  other 

116 


Sinful    Peck 

men  whom  Sinful  examined  carefully  with  the 
glasses. 

"A  good  chance  for  complications  here,  Mr. 
Johnson,"  he  said,  as  he  laid  down  the  glasses. 
"  Here  are  our  predecessors." 

"Our  what,  sah?" 

"  The  two  mates  we  left  in  the  hospital  at  Singa- 
pore— Mr.  Becker  and  Mr.  Brown.  You  get  your 
discharge  here,  I  believe,  but  the  question  is,  who's 
mate  of  this  ship?" 

"You  is,  sah,  but  I  goes  ashore.  Is  you  sure, 
Misser  Peck,  what  you  say,  dat  I  can't  be  'rested 
fo'  t'umpin'  de  men?  Wha'  you  t'ink  dat  Bigpig's 
gone  to?" 

"Don't  know,  and  don't  care.  I've  troubles  of 
my  own." 

"  But  you  tole  me,  sah,  dat  you'd  stan'  by  me, 
an'  not  let  me  be  'rested.  Didn't  you?  You  tole 
me  dat."  Sinful  had  turned  away,  and  the  negro 
was  following  him,  but  the  little  man  only  answered, 
irritably:  "Fight  your  own  battles,  and  let  me 
alone." 

He  went  down  the  poop  steps  to  receive  the  par- 
ty at  the  gangway,  and  the  second  mate  followed 
slowly,  the  aggrieved  look  which  had  come  to  his 

117 


Sinful    Peck 

face  giving  way  to  one  of  malevolent  resent- 
ment. 

The  three  climbed  aboard,  the  visitors  carrying 
their  dunnage,  as  though  they  had  come  to  stay, 
and  the  captain  said,  gayly :  "  Here  we  are  again- 
all  of  us  together.  They're  a  little  limpy  yet,  Mr. 
Peck,  but  still  in  the  ring.  How  is  everything?" 

The  two  had  stared  disdainfully  at  Sinful,  and 
he  returned  the  stare  with  interest  before  answer- 
ing the  captain.  Then  he  said :  "  Bigpig  Monahan 
has  disappeared,  sir.  Don't  know  how." 

"Why  didn't  you  watch  him?  Now,  my  hands 
are  tied.  Come  up  on  the  poop,  all  of  you."  They 
followed  him  up  the  steps.  "It's  this  way,"  he 
continued,  when  they  had  reached  the  open  space 
abaft  the  cabin.  "He  openly  demanded  permis- 
sion to  complain  to  the  authorities,  and  I  heard 
his  demand  before  witnesses.  So,  I  am  liable  for 
the  safe  delivery  of  Mr.  Johnson  if  he  is  wanted.  I 
can't  let  you  leave  the  ship,  Mr.  Johnson,  until  I 
am  sure  you  are  not  wanted." 

"  Is  I  gwine  to  be  'rested,  sah?"  asked  the  negro, 
anxiously. 

"I  don't  know.  If  they  want  you  I  shall  give 
you  up,  for  I  warned  you  to  keep  within  the  law, 

118 


Sinful    Peck 

and  I  cannot  stand  civil  damages  on  account  of 
your  escape." 

"  But  Misser  Peck,"  said  the  negro,  turning  to 
the  sober-faced  Sinful,  "Misser  Peck  he  tole  me  it 
was  all  right;  didn't  you,  sah?" 

"  I  told  you  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  convict. 
It  is  an  after-consideration,"  said  Sinful,  angrily. 
"  Don't  appeal  to  me;  I  can't  prevent  your  arrest." 

"Isn't  this  Monahan  coming  now,  Mr.  Becker?" 
said  one  of  the  new  -  comers  softly  to  the  other, 
pointing  astern.  Mr.  Becker  looked. 

"That's  him,  sure  enough.  Look  there,  Capt'n 
Jackson." 


XIV 

THEY  all  looked.  Bigpig  was  coming  in  state, 
seated  under  an  awning  in  the  after  cock-pit  of 
a  large,  white  steam-launch,  in  the  lorward  end  of 
which  were  men  dressed  in  the  white  working  ducks 
of  the  American  navy  and  the  yellow  khaki  of  the 
army.  There  were  six  of  these  last,  and  they  car- 
ried rifles  with  murderous  sword  -  bayonets,  and 
cartridge-belts  supporting  heavy  revolvers.  Be- 
side Bigpig,  chatting  affably  with  him,  was  a  portly, 
gray-mustached  man  dressed  in  immaculate  white 
and  gold — a  naval  officer.  The  launch  steamed  to 
the  gangway,  and  the  officer,  Bigpig,  and  the  six 
soldiers  climbed  aboard.  The  party  on  the  poop 
descended  to  receive  them,  and  Mr.  Johnson  hur- 
ried into  his  room. 

"Are  you  Captain  Jackson?"  asked  the  officer, 
after  his  eyes  had  wandered  over  the  group  and 
settled  on  the  big  skipper. 

"I  am,  sir." 

T2O 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Is  this  one  of  your  crew?"  He  nodded  towards 
Bigpig,  who  looked  damp  and  dishevelled,  but 
happy,  and  the  captain  affirmed  that  he  was. 

"  He  swam  aboard  the  flagship  from  a  passing 
lighter  last  night,  and  told  a  story  of  brutal  treat- 
ment of  seamen  which  aroused  the  admiral's  atten- 
tion and  interest.  I  am  captain  of  the  port,  and 
he  has  ordered  me  to  devote  my  personal  service 
to  this  case.  Have  you  a  negro  second  mate 
named  Johnson  on  board?" 

"  I  will  produce  him,"  said  the  captain,  stepping 
to  the  companion.  "Mr.  Johnson,"  he  called. 
"Come  out.  You  are  wanted." 

Mr.  Johnson  came  out  with  alacrity.  His  smile 
had  become  a  ferocious  grin,  his  scowl  was  deeper 
than  usual,  and  his  eyes  held  the  desperate,  mur- 
derous light  of  a  fear -haunted  animal.  In  his 
right  hand  was  a  long  knife,  and  as  he  passed  the 
captain  he  buried  this  in  his  shoulder ;  then,  as  the 
captain  sank  down  groaning,  he  made  for  Sinful 
Peck.  Sinful  fled  along  the  deck,  and  the  men  for- 
ward, who  had  dropped  their  tasks  to  watch  the 
proceedings,  scattered  out  of  their  way. 

"  Shoot  him,"  roared  the  officer.  "  He  has  done 
murder.  Aim — fire!" 


Sinful    Peck 

The  six  soldiers  sank  to  one  knee ;  six  rifle-barrels 
were  elevated  and  six  bullets  followed  the  frenzied 
negro,  now  roaring  incoherent  threats  at  Sinful  for 
"gwine  back  on  him." 

He  floundered  heavily  to  the  deck  at  Sinful' s 
heels,  and  the  outstretched  knife  slit  a  long  gash  in 
his  right  trousers  leg.  The  bullets  were  just  in  time, 
but  Sinful  did  not  pause  in  his  flight  until  he  had 
circled  the  forward  house;  then,  spying  the  huge 
black  form  of  his  pursuer  quiet  in  a  growing  pool 
on  the  deck,  he  slowed  down  and  approached  with 
what  dignity  he  could  assume  the  group  surround- 
ing the  wounded  captain. 

"We  must  get  him  ashore  at  once,"  said  the 
officer,  "or  he  will  bleed  to  death.  Who  is  next 
in  command  here?" 

"I  am,  sir,"  answered  both  Mr.  Becker  and 
Sinful. 

"Two  first  mates?  That's  funny;1' but  lift  the 
captain  over  quickly." 

All  the  men  had  come  aft  now,  and  some,  as 
the  groaning  and  almost  unconscious  captain  was 
picked  up,  volunteered  the  information  that  the 
negro  was  dead. 

"He  deserved  it,"  said  the  officer,  "and  under 

122 


Sinful    Peck 

martial  law  it  is  the  quickest  solution  of  the  trouble. 
Are  you  satisfied,  Monahan?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Bigpig,  soberly.  "But 
there's  another  matter  which  you  may  be  able  to 
settle  for  us,  sir.  The  question  you  just  asked: 
Who  is  first  mate  of  this  ship?" 

"Well,  who  is?"  The  officer  looked  at  the  two 
claimants,  and  then  at  the  wounded  captain  de- 
scending the  side  in  the  arms  of  the  men. 

"  I  am  the  signed  first  mate,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Becker. 
"  I  came  out  to  Singapore  in  her,  and  went  to  the 
hospital,  with  the  understanding  that  I  was  to 
join  the  ship  by  steamer  at  Manila.  I  have  done 
so." 

"And  you?"  inquired  the  officer,  turning  to 
Sinful. 

"  I  was  promoted  to  be  first  mate  in  this  man's 
place  at  Singapore,"  said  Sinful,  "and  have  been 
first  mate  since." 

"I  am  still  on  the  articles  as  first  mate,"  said 
Mr.  Becker,  "and  this  man  shipped  as  sailor  out 
o'  New  York." 

"Well,  I  don't  know,"  said  the  puzzled  officer. 
"As  captain  of  the  port  I  must  leave  some  one  in 
charge  pending  the  captain's  recovery;  but — I  can- 

123 


Sinful    Peck 

not  replace  you,"  he  said  to  Mr.  Becker,  "without 
deposing  this  man.  Can't  you  get  along  until  the 
captain  can  decide?" 

"  I  am  the  lawful  first  mate,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Becker, 
doggedly,  "and  as  such  I  will  exercise  my  power  if 
I  stay  here." 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,"  said  Bigpig,  respectfully,  "but 
the  new  seaman's  law  provides  that  all  first  mates 
of  sailing  crafts  of  over  seven  hundred  tons  register 
shall  show  certificates,  as  in  English  craft.  Here 
is  the  law,  sir — the  latest  Revised  Statutes."  He 
received  a  book  handed  him  by  Poopdeck  Cahill, 
who  had  drawn  close  to  him,  and  opened  it,  point- 
ing to  a  certain  part  of  a  page. 

"My  book!"  exclaimed  Sinful.  "How  did  you 
get  it?" 

"Found  it,  my  son,"  said  Bigpig,  benignly,  "in 
the  forecastle." 

"I  know,"  said  the  officer,  after  a  glance  at  the 
page.  "I  read  up  that  new  law  lately.  Are  you 
certificated,  sir?"  he  asked  of  Mr.  Becker. 

Mr.  Becker  triumphantly  drew  forth  a  pock- 
et-book and  displayed  an  engraved  sheet  of 
paper. 

"  Renewed  last  March,  sir,"  he  said ;  "  and  it's  an 
124 


Sinful    Peck 

ocean  steamboat  license — first  class — twenty  years 
old." 

"That  covers  the  ground,"  said  the  officer,  after 
examining  it.  "And  you?"  he  asked  of  Sinful. 

"  I  have  been  master  of  Lake  steamers.  I  am  a 
first-class  pilot  on  the  Lakes,  and  I  have  a  drawer 
full  of  those  licenses  at  home." 

"  But  they  are  of  no  use  to  you  out  here,"  said 
the  officer,  stiffening  up.  "I  cannot  wait  longer,  as 
the  captain  is  in  danger.  Your  name,  sir?"  he 
asked  of  the  rightful  incumbent. 

"John  Becker,  sir." 

"  I  appoint  you  acting  master  of  this  ship  until 
Captain  Jackson  recovers.  Attention!"  he  called 
to  his  soldiers.  "Over  the  side — march!" 

He  halted  at  the  gangway  to  glance  at  the  corpse 
of  the  negro.  "  Better  box  him  up  at  once,"  he  said, 
"  and  I'll  send  a  lighter  to  take  him  ashore."  Then 
he  was  gone. 

"  Steward,"  called  Mr.  Becker  to  this  functionary, 
who  stood  in  the  cabin  door.  "  Clean  up  my  room, 
and  if  this  man  has  any  traps  in  it  fire  'em  out  on 
deck.  Go  forrard  out  o'  this,"  he  said,  sternly,  to 
the  white-faced  Sinful. 

"  We'll  take  him,  sir,"  said  Bigpig,  with  a  joyous 
125 


Sinful    Peck 

smile.  "Come,  Sinful,  my  boy."  He  hooked  his 
big  arm  within  Sinful' s  little  one,  Poopdeck  Cahill 
took  the  other  one,  and  with  Seldom  Helward 
bringing  up  the  rear  and  the  whole  crew  flocking 
ahead,  the  procession  moved  forward 


XV 


DURING  the  noon  hour  a  steam-launch  towing 
a  casco,  or  native  lighter,  crept  up  the  gang- 
way, deposited  a  white-clad  officer  and  two  soldiers 
on  the  ladder,  then  pulled  the  casco  forward  to  the 
main  chains,  where  her  crew  made  her  fast.  The 
officer  and  soldiers  climbed  aboard,  and  Mr.  Beck- 
er, called  from  his  dinner  by  the  watching  steward 
at  the  forward  companion,  came  out  wiping  his 
mouth. 

"I'm  an  inspector  of  customs,"  said  the  officer. 
"  I  suppose  you  know  that  Manila  is  under  martial 
law.  Who  is  in  charge  of  this  ship?  I'm  after  a 
dead  nigger,  for  one  thing;  and  I  want  a  look  at 
your  papers." 

"I'm  in  charge,  sir,"  answered  Mr.  Becker;  "I 
signed  first  mate  and  am  acting  skipper  while  Cap- 
tain Jackson's  in  the  hospital.  How's  he  getting 
on,  sir?  Have  you  heard?" 

"Badly  cut.  How'd  it  happen?  I  only  know 
127 


Sinful    Peck 

that  our  men  shot  the  nigger  after  he  knifed  the 
captain." 

"Went  daft  and  run  amuck.  Y'  see,  me  an'  Mr. 
Brown,  the  second  mate,  went  to  the  hospital  at 
Singapore,  an'  the  skipper  took  on  one  o'  the  hands 
forrard  first  mate  in  my  place,  an'  shipped  the 
moke  second  mate  for  the  run  here.  Well,  they 
hazed  the  men  some,  it  seems,  though  the  nigger 
did  all  the  thumpin',  and  one  o'  the  crew  got  away 
last  night  an'  made  complaint.  We  only  got  here 
yesterday  from  Singapore,  an'  joined  the  ship  this 
mornin',  but  just  after  we  got  aboard  out  comes 
the  captain  o'  the  port  wi'  some  sogers  to  'rest  the 
nigger.  Course,  the  skipper  had  to  give  him  up, 
an'  then  he  turned  loose  with  his  knife,  an'  the 
sogers  shot  him.  There  he  is."  Mr.  Becker  point- 
ed to  an  elongated  object  covered  with  canvas  on 
the  main  hatch.  The  officer  glanced,  and  nodded, 
then  said:  "What  became  of  the  first  mate?  Did 
he  make  trouble?" 

"  Not  in  any  violent  way,"  answered  Mr.  Becker, 
with  a  grin.  "Tried  to  hold  his  berth  against  me, 
but  the  port  capt'n  overruled  him,  an'  reinstated 
me.  I  put  him  'fore  the  mast  'mong  the  men  he'd 
beenhazin'.  Reckon  that's  his  yap  now.  Listen." 

128 


Sinful    Peck 

From  the  forecastle  came  sounds  of  hoarse,  muf- 
fled, denunciatory  voices,  rising  and  falling;  occa- 
sionally a  higher  note  broke  in — a  quavering,  angry 
voice  which,  as  they  listened,  grew  louder,  and 
finally  dominated  the  others. 

"Seems  to  have  an  interesting  time,"  said  the 
officer,  dryly. 

"Yes,"  answered  Mr.  Becker,  still  grinning. 
"  He's  among  his  own  breed  o'  dog,  but  they've 
outlawed  him.  Sinful  Peck,  they  call  him.  He's 
got  money,  and  shipped  out  o'  New  York  on  a  bet." 

The  quavering  voice  ceased  coincident  with  a 
sound  as  of  a  bucket  striking  a  bulkhead ;  there  was 
an  outburst  of  the  hoarse  tones,  and  then  the  little 
man  shot  out  of  the  forecastle  door,  followed  by 
a  flying  beef -bone  which  just  missed  his  head  and 
went  overboard. 

"That's  him,"  said  Mr.  Becker.  "That's  the 
only  Sinful  Peck,  the  worst  little  devil  for  his  draft 
that  ever  happened.  Been  a  sailor  an'  a  lawyer 
and  a  doctor,  they  say.  Shot  the  second  mate  out- 
side o'  Singapore,  an'  then  nursed  him  like  a  son. 
When  I  broke  my  leg  he  pulled  me  through.  Skip- 
per went  overboard  on  a  big  sea,  an'  Sinful  went 
after  him.  That's  why  he  was  taken  aft." 
9  129 


Sinful    Peck 

"  He  nursed  you,  do  you  say,  and  saved  the  cap- 
tain's life?  Yet  you  reduce  him  as  soon  as  you  get 
charge." 

"  Why  not?  He  shipped  'fore  the  mast.  I  don't 
need  him  aft." 

"Let  me  see  the  ship's  papers,"  said  the  officer, 
coldly. 

"  I'll  get  'em.  Not  much  on  'em,  I  reckon,  as  the 
ship's  in  ballast." 

"Wait,"  said  the  officer,  as  Mr.  Becker  turned 
to  enter  the  cabin.  "That  man  is  coming.  I  am 
interested  in  him." 

The  little  man  was  marching  aft  with  a  business- 
like stride,  and  behind  him  men  were  flocking  out 
of  the  two  forecastle  doors  and  watching  him. 
Whatever  of  anger  might  have  been  in  his  face 
when  forward  had  left  it  as  he  approached  the  mate 
and  the  officers.  He  smiled  sweetly,  but  it  was  an 
incongruous,  out-of -place  sort  of  smile,  considering 
other  ornaments  to  his  face.  His  bald  head  was 
covered  with  tar,  as  though  he  had  been  crowned 
with  an  inverted  and  full-charged  tar-bucket,  and 
black,  sticky  rivulets  ran  down  his  cheeks  and 
under  his  shirt  collar.  His  nose  was  swollen  and 
bleeding,  and  mixed  with  the  blood  was  the  half- 

130 


Sinful    Peck 

fluid  grease  called  "slush"  aboard  ship.  He 
worked  his  lips  and  spat  continually,  as  though 
from  the  intrusion  of  some  of  this  grease  into  his 
mouth,  and  there  was  a  perceptible  limp  to  his 
business  -  like  stride,  which  spoke  of  recent  con- 
tact with  something  hard  and  swift.  Mr.  Becker 
scowled  as  he  halted  before  them,  but  the  officer 
smiled  encouragingly,  and  said : "  You  are  Mr.  Sinful 
Peck,  I  hear." 

"  Yes,  sir.  That's  the  name  I'm  known  by  aboard 
this  hell-ship.  Mr.  Becker,"  he  said  to  the  mate, 
"will  you  permit  me  to  speak  to  this  gentleman  in 
your  august  presence?" 

The  scowling  Mr.  Becker  made  no  answer,  and 
Sinful  continued:  "You  are  a  government  officer, 
sir?" 

"  Lieutenant  Seward,  Sixth  Artillery — inspector 
of  customs." 

"I  am  ex-first  mate  of  this  ship.  Here  is  my 
successor  and  predecessor,  who  forgets  that  I  am 
ex-officio  entitled  to  consideration,  and  has  thrown 
me  to  the  dogs.  I  cannot  write  a  letter,  as  I  have 
no  stationery,  and  know  better  than  to  ask  for  it; 
but  will  you  kindly  inform  Captain  Jackson  of  my 
predicament,  sir,  when  you  see  him?" 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Most  certainly — when  he  is  in  condition  to  hear 
of  it;  but  I  am  informed  that  he  is  very  low — too 
low  to  be  disturbed." 

"Of  course — of  course,  lieutenant.  Only  when 
he  is  in  condition  to  attend  to  the  matter.  I  can 
drag  my  chain  until  then,  I  hope,  but  in  case  I  fail — 
what  is  the  penalty  for  murder  under  martial  law? 
I  am  student  of  civil  and  international  law,  but 
not  of  martial.  I  am  a  pearl  cast  before  swine. 
What  will  happen  if  I  kill  a  pig  or  a  bucko 
mate?" 

"You  will  be  shot,"  answered  the  officer,  with  an 
amused  smile. 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I  shall  remember.  Mr.  Beck- 
er," he  said  to  the  mate,  "  have  no  fear  of  me.  You 
are  a  poor,  ignorant  man,  and  you  knew  no  better. 
I  shall  not  kill  you  until  we  get  to  America." 

"Well,  I  want  none  o'  yer  lip,"  declared  Mr. 
Becker,  angrily,  advancing  towards  him. 

"  Steady  as  you  go,  sir,"  answered  Sinful,  backing 
away,  with  hands  uplifted.  "  If  you  touch  me 
you'll  get  mussed;  and  you  look  fine  in  that  clean 
shirt,  Mr.  Becker  —  ought  to  wear  a  clean  shirt 
every  day,  sir." 

"  I  needn't  touch  you,  damn  you,"  snarled  the 
132 


Sinful    Peck  v 

exasperated  officer,  springing  to  the  rail  and  ex- 
tracting a  belaying-pin. 

"Wait,"  said  the  lieutenant,  blocking  his  way. 
"You  are  not  going  to  assault  that  man  for  good- 
humored  joking." 

"I'll  break  his  damned  head,"  sputtered  Mr. 
Becker.     But  he  halted. 

"You  will  not  be  permitted.  Manila  is  under 
martial  law,  which  is  quick  and  severe.  Men,"  said 
the  lieutenant  to  the  two  privates,  who  had  re- 
mained near  the  gangway,  "your  duty  will  be  not 
only  to  see  that  no  contraband  goods  are  smug- 
gled out  of  this  ship,  but  that  there  is  no  assault 
of  seamen  by  officers.  If  an  officer  strikes  a  man 
except  in  self-defence,  put  him. under  arrest  and 
notify  me." 

"Yes,  sir,"  they  answered,  saluting,  and  looking 
hard  at  Mr.  Becker,  who  put  the  belaying-pin  back 
and  faced  Mr.  Seward  in  a  white  heat. 

"Yes  —  that's  all  right,  for  the  army  or  the 
navy,"  he  said,  "with  the  power  o'  the  government 
behind  you ;  but  how' 11  a  man  manage  aboard  these 
ships  with  the  crews  we  get?  Here's  Mr.  Brown 
here" — the  second  mate  had  just  come  out  of  the 
cabin  door — "an'  me,  all  alone  wi'  twenty-five  men 


Sinful    Peck 

to  handle  an'  keep  at  work.  Every  man  of  'em 
ready  to  mutiny  at  any  time." 

"And  they  did  mutiny,"  broke  in  the  second 
mate,  who  had  easily  surmised  the  situation;  "out- 
side Singapore.  They  took  charge  o'  the  ship  for 
a  while,  and  this  man  shot  me."  He  pointed  at 
Sinful. 

"And  then  nursed  you,  I  hear,"  said  the  lieu- 
tenant, dryly. 

"  Look  at  'em  forrard,  there,"  stormed  the  angry 
first  mate;  "  that  baker's  dozen  by  the  galley  door. 
See  that  big  tough  with  the  cro'-jack  eye?  That's 
Bigpig  Monahan,  the  ringleader  o'  the  lot.  See 
that  hang -dog  mug  beside  him?  That's  Seldom 
Helward,  ready  for  murder  at  any  time.  What 
d'  ye  think  o'  men  wi'  them  names?  There's  Tosser 
Galvin,  scratchin'  himself.  Think  them  men  '11 
listen  to  reason?" 

"Mr.  Becker  is  right,  lieutenant,"  said  Sinful. 
"Their  names  alone  condemn  them.  There  are 
Poopdeck  Cahill,  and  Turkey  Twain,  Ghost  O'Brien, 
Gunner  Meagher — it  would  pain  you  to  hear  them 
all,  sir.  They  are  town  -  mates  of  mine,  to  my 
shame  and  confusion ;  but  Mr.  Becker  is  right ;  they 
will  not  listen  to  reason.  Not  a  brute  among  them 


Sinful    Peck 

can  be  insulted  unless  the  insult  is  physical.  They 
have  so  insulted  me.  They  are  dock-rats  and  river 
thieves  from  Cleveland." 

"An'  you're  the  worst  thief  among  'em,  I'll  bet," 
growled  the  mate. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  answered  Sinful,  straightening 
up,  a  ridiculous  figure  of  mock  dignity;  " but  I  can- 
not argue  that  with  you.  I  am  come  aft  for  relief 
from  the  medicine-chest.  While  saving  your  leg 
from  amputation  I  learned  of  its  contents.  There 
is  croton  oil  there,  which  will  assuage  the  pain  in 
my  own  leg,  where  a  splinter  of  bone  has  been 
kicked  off  by  a  sea-boot.  May  I  have  the  croton 
oil,  sir?" 

A  little  of  shame  and  embarrassment  came  to  the 
angry  face  of  the  mate,  and  when  he  observed  the 
cold  but  questioning  gaze  of  the  lieutenant  fixed 
upon  him,  he  growled:  " Go  ahead,  and  be  damned 
to  you." 

Sinful  limped  into  the  cabin,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
returned  with  a  large,  flat  bottle.  He  nodded  a 
cheery  "good-morning  "  to  the  lieutenant,  and  was 
about  to  pass  forward  when  he  saw  the  "baker's 
dozen"  of  men  leave  their  place  near  the  galley, 
and  march  aft  in  a  body.  There  was  purpose  in 


Sinful    Peck 

their  rugged,  intelligent  faces,  though  but  little 
index  of  the  turpitude  credited  them  by  Sinful 
and  the  mate,  and  they  approached  as  though  they 
had  something  to  say  or  do.  Sinful  halted,  and 
then  edged  over  towards  the  two  soldiers. 


XVI 

MR.  BECKER,"  said  the  big  "ringleader," 
respectfully,  "it  isn't  quite  one  bell  yet. 
May  we  speak  to  this  officer  'fore  we  turn  to?" 

The  mate  nodded  a  surly  consent,  and  he  turned 
to  the  officer. 

"  My  name's  Monahan,  sir — 

"  Bigpig  Monahan,"  interrupted  Sinful. 

"  Bigpig  it  is,  my  son,  but  don't  interrupt.  Can 
you  tell  us,  sir,  if  the  banks  ashore  are  doing  busi- 
ness with  the  home  banks  now?" 

"No,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "There's  a  military 
government  in  force,  and  all  foreign  business  is  at 
a  stand-still." 

"  No  way,  then,  sir,  by  which  we  can  draw  money 
on  our  home  banks?  This  crowd  could  bunch 
issues  and  buy  a  fleet  of  ships  like  this,  but  we're 
helpless,  unless  we  can  communicate  with  our 
bankers  in  Cleveland.  We  merely  want  our  dis- 
charge  from  this  ship  and  can  pay  for  it,  but 

137 


Sinful    Peck 

we've  signed  articles  and  the  skipper  refused  lib- 
erty yesterday.  Now  he's  in  the  hospital.  We 
want  to  go  home  by  steamer — not  'fore  the  mast 
in  a  sailing  ship.  Would  an  appeal  to  the  admiral 
be  of  use,  sir?" 

"  Decidedly,  no.  If  you  signed  articles  he  would 
not  interfere  without  the  captain's  knowledge  and 
consent.  And  he  is  too  near  death  to  be  troubled. 
No  one  can  discharge  you  except  your  captain, 
when  he  recovers — that  is,  unless  you  have  cause 
for  complaint  worthy  of  the  Provost  .Court's  at- 
tention. Have  you  any  grievance?" 

"  None  this  side  of  Singapore,  sir — now  that  the 
nigger  is  dead,  and  we  have  this  little  devil  'fore  the 
mast  with  us.  The  two  mates  have  just  joined, 
and  haven't  shown  their  teeth  yet.  If  they  begin, 
how  shall  we  get  a  complaint  ashore,  sir?" 

"They  will  not  begin.  These  two  men  whom  I 
will  leave  here  will  prevent  it." 

"  There  '11  be  no  trouble  of  our  starting ;  we  want 
to  keep  clean  records.  But  there  '11  be  no  way  of 
our  knowing  just  when  the  skipper  can  listen  to 
our  proposition.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  put 
it  to  him,  sir,  whenever  he  gets  well  enough  ?  Say 
that  we'll  make  good  the  pay  of  thirteen  new  men 

138 


Sinful    Peck 

for  the  run  home,  and  that  we  don't  want  any 
money  from  him — only  our  discharges.  Our  in- 
terests at  home  are  suffering." 

"Do  you  think  he  will  believe  that  you  can  do 
it?" 

"  He  can  make  sure  by  cabling,  sir.  We  had  no 
money  for  that  at  Singapore,  and  we  can't  get 
ashore  here,  and  are  just  as  poor.  But  at  home 
I'm  a  ship-owner  and  master,  while  there  are  sev- 
eral here  wealthier  than  I." 

"If  you  are  wealthy  men,"  asked  the  officer, 
looking  at  the  innocent  though  dirty  face  of  Sinful, 
"how  do  you  happen  to  be  here?  This  man  gives 
you  a  different  standing." 

"They're  not  wealthy,  lieutenant,"  said  Sinful, 
earnestly.  "They  know  every  free  lunch  in 
Cleveland,  but  they  can't  even  buy  drinks." 

"This  man,"  said  Bigpig,  hotly,  "is  a  liar.  The 
story  might  as  well  come  out.  We're  sick  o'  this 
ship.  He  made  a  fool  bet  a  few  years  back  on 
Bryan's  election — which  was,  to  make  a  deep-water 
voyage  if  he  lost.  He  made  the  bet  with  Seldom— 
Captain  Helward  at  home — and  we  all  came  down 
to  see  him  off.  Just  'fore  going  aboard  he  gave  us 
a  parting  wine  supper,  drugged  us  all,  and  had  us 


Sinful    Peck 

shanghaied  by  the  crimp  that  shipped  him.  It's 
one  of  his  damned  practical  jokes,  but  it's  costing 
him  something.  Look  at  him." 

Mr.  Seward  laughed,  and  said:  "  It  does  seem  to 
be  going  hard  with  him.  Well,  I  am  to  tell  the 
captain  for  him  that  he  is  disrated,  and  I  will  state 
your  proposition  to  him,  as  soon  as  possible.  There 
are  plenty  of  men  in  port,  and  I  can  see  no  reason 
why  he  should  hold  you.  But  you  cannot  land  in 
Manila  unless  in  perfect  health.  The  quarantine  is 
very  strict,  and  the  slightest  symptom  of  contagious 
disease  will  bar  you  out." 

"We're  all  right,  sir,"  they  exclaimed,  noisily. 

One  bell  tinkled  from  the  cabin  clock,  and  the 
mate  growled:  "Turn  to.  Mr.  Brown,  rig  a  tackle 
to  the  main -yard  and  lift  that  stiff  over.  And 
take  off  the  main  hatch  so  that  this  inspector  o' 
customs  an'  sailors'  dry  -  nurse  can  look  into  the 
hold.  I'll  get  the  ship's  papers." 

The  lieutenant's  face  flushed  as  he  looked  at 
the  retreating  figure  of  the  mate,  and  he  said 
to  the  two  soldiers:  "Watch  that  man  carefully, 
and  lock  him  up  if  he  gives  you  the  slightest  ex- 
cuse." 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  one,  "we  will;  but  how 
140 


Sinful    Peck 

about  the  men?  They  seem  to  be  abusing  that 
little  fellow." 

"The  men,"  said  the  officer,  in  a  musing  tone. 
"Their  case  is  beyond  my  intervention;  and  the 
little  fellow  seems  to  be  able  to  take  care  of  him- 
self. But  don't  let  them  kill  him." 

"Something  doing  now,  sir,"  said  the  other  sol- 
dier, looking  forward,  and  the  lieutenant  followed 
his  glance.  There  were  men  on  the  main  hatch 
bundling  up  the  elongated  object  in  its  canvas 
covering ;  and  the  others  were  carrying  aloft  a  heavy 
tackle  with  which  to  lift  it ;  but  the  rest  of  the  crew 
— not  yet  set  to  work — were  watching  Mr.  Brown 
and  Sinful  Peck,  who  were  holding  a  heated  argu- 
ment near  the  windlass.  Sinful  held  in  one  hand 
a  "  slush-bucket,"  from  which,  with  the  other  hand, 
he  had  scooped  some  grease  and  plastered  the  tar 
on  his  bald  head,  his  object,  of  course,  being  the 
softening  of  the  tar  for  easy  removal.  But  he  was 
doing  it  in  working-hours,  and  Mr.  Brown,  who  had 
not  heard  the  lieutenant's  orders  forbidding  assault, 
was  very  properly  incensed.  Sinful' s  voice  of  pro- 
test could  not  be  heard  plainly,  but  Mr.  Brown's 
was  loud,  profane,  and  emphatic,  the  burden  of  his 
criticism,  however,  referring  as  much  to  Sinful's 

141 


Sinful    Peck 

handiness  with  a  gun  as  to  his  bad  manners  in  mak- 
ing his  toilet  after  one  bell.  As  they  looked,  the 
second  mate's  fist  shot  out  and  the  little  man 
went  down;  then  Mr.  Brown  began  kicking  the 
small  victim  in  the  ribs,  methodically  and  rhyth- 
mically. 

"Stop  that!"  roared  the  lieutenant,  starting  for- 
ward. "Arrest  that  man!"  he  called  back  to  the 
two  privates,  and  they  followed,  shipping  their 
bayonets  as  they  ran.  Mr.  Brown  was  interrupted 
by  two  sharp  steel  points  pressing  his  sides;  then, 
as  he  started  back,  the  rifles  were  crossed  between 
him  and  his  victim. 

"Take  him  over  the  side,  and  send  him  ashore 
to  the  provost  marshal-general,"  said  Mr.  Seward, 
sternly. 

"What's  this  for?"  asked  the  astonished  second 
mate.  "Why — why — he  shot  me— shot  me  with 
my  own  pistol!" 

"  He  must  have  been  a  poor  marksman,  to  hit 
your  leg.  Over  the  side  with  him,  men."  And  Mr. 
Brown,  expostulating  loudly  as  he  went,  was  march- 
ed aft  to  the  main  rigging  and  compelled  to  climb 
down  to  the  waiting  casco. 

Sinful  scrambled  painfully  to  his  feet,  and,  with 
142 


Sinful    Peck 

his  nose  bleeding  afresh,  limped  after  the  lieutenant 
and  asked : 

"Can  you  take  me  along  as  prosecuting  witness, 
sir?" 

"Not  needed  in  Provost  Court.  I  am  witness 
enough,"  said  the  lieutenant,  without  halting;  and 
Sinful  returned  to  his  toilet.  This  time  he  was  per- 
mitted to  finish,  even  to  bandaging  his  leg. 

The  tackle  was  rigged  and  the  body  swinging  in 
mid-air  by  this  time,  and  as' the  enraged  lieutenant 
reached  the  gangway  and  met  Mr.  Becker  with  the 
ship's  papers,  it  was  lowered  to  the  casco,  where 
the  corporal's  guard  that  had  received  Mr.  Brown 
laid  it  out  on  the  deck  and  unhooked  the  tackle. 

Mr.  Seward  examined  the  papers,  peeped  down 
the  opened  hatches  at  the  ballast  in  the  lower  hold, 
then,  handing  back  the  papers  to  the  mate,  turned 
to  the  gangway,  but  halted  at  the  steps  and  called 
back : 

"I  am  taking  the  second  mate  ashore  under  ar- 
rest for  assaulting  one  of  the  sailors.  If  you  dupli- 
cate his  offence  you  will  receive  summary  treat- 
ment. Men,"  he  said  to  the  soldiers,  "you  are  to 
see  to  this."  Then  he  went  over  the  side,  and  the 
soldiers  explained  what  had  happened.  Mr.  Becker 


Sinful    Peck 

climbed  to  the  poop,  peered  down  at  his  brother 
officer,  seated  disconsolately  on  a  box,  surrounded 
by  soldiers,  and  at  the  officer  under  the  awning  of 
the  steam-launch,  which  was  now  making  fast  to 
the  casco;  then,  mopping  his  hairy  face  with  his 
coat-sleeve,  came  down  and  looked  blankly  at  the 
soldiers. 

"Well,  I'll  be  hanged,"  he  said.  "What  am  I 
to  do  now — alone  here  with  this  crew  o'  men?" 

"Try  treating  them  decently,"  answered  one. 
"Such  work  would  spoil  the  best  company  in  the 
army.  You  heard  our  orders?  Well,  we'll  carry 
them  out." 


XVII 

MR.  BECKER  did  not  answer.  Whether  he 
was  most  oppressed  by  his  isolation  among 
unfriendly  men,  or  by  the  menace  of  martial  law, 
could  not  be  surmised  by  his  new  attitude  towards 
the  crew.  He  became  a  model  merchant  officer, 
quiet,  dignified,  and  civil-spoken,  and  that  after- 
noon kept  them  at  light,  easy  tasks  calculated  to 
win  the  regard  of  the  most  mutinous  of  sailors. 
Even  was  he  kind  to  Sinful  Peck,  which  so  em- 
boldened the  little  man  that,  when  work  was 
done  for  the  day,  he  came  aft  and  requested— 
the  ship  being  in  port — free  access  to  the  fresh- 
water tanks  for  the  men  he  had  been  thrown 
among. 

"  Guess  yer  talkin'  for  yerself  more'n  them,  aren't 
you?"  growled  the  mate. 

"For  myself  entirely,  sir,"  answered  Sinful. 
"The  weather  is  warm,  and  the  forecastle  poorly 
ventilated.  Some  are  complaining  of  prickly  heat, 


Sinful    Peck 

and  it  may  be  the  dhobie's  itch.  .  Perhaps  they 
would  wash  if  the  example  were  set." 

"  You  need  a  bath  yerself.  Go  ahead  and  set  the 
example." 

Salt  "slush,"  though  an  excellent  solvent  for 
sticky  tar,  is  not  a  cosmetic  of  the  first  order,  and 
Sinful' s  appearance  really  attested  his  own  urgent 
need  of  what  he  prescribed  for  the  others.  The 
mate  ordered  the  carpenter  to  unlock  the  deck- 
tanks,  and  sent  a  box  of  soap  forward  by  the  stew- 
ard— a  benefaction  so  unprecedented  that  the  men 
openly  debited  their  shares  on  the  slop  -  chest  ac- 
count. But  the  gift  was  acceptable,  and  for  half 
an  hour  in  the  gathering  darkness  the  forward 
deck  was  a  natatorium.  Then  it  became  a  laun- 
dry, and  until  far  into  the  night  men  washed, 
rinsed,  and  hung  up  shirts  and  underwear  to  dry 
in  the  rigging.  But  the  soldier  on  watch  noticed 
that  Sinful  Peck  was  the  only  one  of  the  fourteen 
men  from  Cleveland  who  washed  clothes.  The 
others  had  turned  in  after  their  bath,  and  when 
he  called  his  comrade  at  midnight  to  relieve  him, 
he  reported  that  Sinful  was  still  at  it. 

The  sleepy  soldier  strolled  forward.  Sinful  was 
sitting  on  the  forehatch  beside  a  large  pile  of  damp 

146 


Sinful    Peck 

clothes,  with  a  bucket  between  his  knees,  indus- 
triously washing  away.  Bigpig  Monahan  stood 
behind  him  on  the  hatch,  twirling  in  his  hand  a 
piece  of  rope,  and  as  the  soldier  drew  near  he  was 
saying : 

"It  pains  me,  my  son,  to  rope's-end  you;  but 
you've  got  to  finish  the  crowd's  wash,  and  we're  giv- 
ing you  three  nights  to  do  it.  By  the  time  you've 
rinsed  out  that  pile  it  '11  be  two  bells,  and  you  can 
turn  in;  and  to-morrow  night  you  can  go  on  with 
more,  but  every  man  on  anchor-watch  gets  this  rope 
with  instructions  to  use  it  if  you  shirk.  Now,  I'll 
call  Seldom.  You'd  better  not  monkey  with  him." 

Bigpig  entered  the  forecastle,  and  the  soldier  said 
to  Sinful :  "  This  seems  to  be  compulsory ;  but  we're 
ordered  not  to  interfere  with  anything  between  you 
men.  I  can't  help  you." 

"Compulsory,"  answered  Sinful,  peering  up  into 
the  soldier's  face  with  a  ghastly  smile  on  his  own. 
' '  Not  at  all.  It's  a  labor  of  love  and  self -protection. 
It's  painful  to  watch  them  scratch,  and  I'd  hate  to 
catch  the  itch.  They  call  it  prickly  heat,  but  it's 
the  itch — the  dhobie's  itch.  They  caught  it  loafing 
'round  Singapore.  It's  contagious,  and  they  can't 
be  discharged  with  a  contagious  disease.  And  as 


Sinful    Peck 

they're  too  lazy  to  wash  their  clothes,  I'm  doing  it 
for  them." 

"Guess  you  wouldn't  be  sorry  to  see  'em  dis- 
charged?" laughed  the  soldier. 

"  Oh  yes,  I  would.  I  love  'em,  bad  as  they  smell ; 
but  I  hate  to  see  them  down  with  the  itch." 

He  wrung  out  the  last  garment,  dumped  the 
bucket  on  deck;  then  he  began  filling  a  large  tub 
with  the  rinsing- water,  and  the  soldier  went  aft. 

In  the  morning  Mr.  Becker,  not  caring  to  hoist 
over  one  of  the  ship's  boats  with  a  disaffected  crew 
aboard,  hailed  the  passing  dingy  of  another  ship 
and  went  ashore.  He  returned  at  noon  with  busi- 
ness in  his  face,  and  when  he  sang  out  "  turn  to"  at 
one  bell,  as  cleanly  a  crew  as  ever  manned  a  rope 
answered  the  call,  and,  at  his  behest,  began  rigging 
cargo  whips.  Ballast  was  to  be  discharged,  he  in- 
formed the  boatswains,  and  a  cargo  of  sugar  and 
hemp  taken  in  for  Shanghai.  The  captain,  on  his 
sick-bed,  had  arranged  the  charter,  and,  as  it  would 
take  a  month  to  load,  he  hoped  to  be  well  in  time 
to  sail. 

Scant  comfort  for  the  homesick  and  well-doing 
men.  Mr.  Becker  was  not  their  ambassador;  nei- 
ther had  he  brought  word  from  Mr,  Seward.  And 

148 


Sinful    Peck 

to  aid  their  troubles,  something  seemed  to  be  the 
matter  with  them.  Three  came  aft  at  nightfall  and 
asked  the  steward  for  saleratus,  as  a  remedy  for 
prickly  heat.  The  steward  obliged  them  with  a 
small  package,  but  at  breakfast-time  next  morning, 
when  seven  others  came  aft  with  the  same  request, 
he  was  compelled  to  refuse.  He  had  none  to  spare, 
and  suggested  that  they  eat  less,  and  drink  less 
water  in  such  a  hot  climate.  The  refusal  was  not 
of  great  moment,  as  the  first  three  complained  that 
it  had  not  relieved  the  itching  and  burning  sensa- 
tion which  afflicted  them  from  head  to  foot ;  but  at 
noon,  when  the  whole  thirteen  came  aft  and  bared 
their  chests  to  the  mate,  exposing  an  angry,  red 
rash,  and  officially  appealed  to  him  for  relief  from 
the  medicine-chest,  the  matter  looked  serious.  They 
were  in  torment,  they  said,  and  a  body  of  men  in 
torment  are  a  serious  proposition  on  board  ship. 
Mr.  Becker  disclaimed  knowledge  of  medicine- 
chests,  and  sent  for  Sinful  Peck.  The  little  man, 
clean  and  sweet  and  smiling,  followed  aft  and  pre- 
scribed flower  of  sulphur,  applied  dry. 

"For  it's  nothing  but  the  itch,"  he  said — "the 
dhobie's  itch,  which  they  must  have  contracted  while 
sleeping  in  the  dog-kennels  at  Singapore.  Yes ;  I'll 

149 


Sinful    Peck 

stake  my  professional  reputation  that  it  is  the 
itch." 

There  being  none  to  contradict  a  man  with  a 
professional  reputation,  the  sulphur  was  taken  for- 
ward and  applied;  and  their  heavy  breathing  and 
suppressed  groans  half  an  hour  later  as  the  irritant 
ate  into  their  several  skins  brought  encouraging 
words  from  Sinful  and  a  fraternal  pity  to  his 
face. 

"It's  only  because  it's  taking  hold,  boys,"  he 
said  to  them.  "It  '11  be  all  right  by  supper-time. 
You've  been  pretty  severe  on  me,  but,  I  tell  you, 
I'm  sorry  for  you." 

"Sorry be  damned,  you  little  devil,"  said  Seldom 
Helward.  "  I  believe  you've  made  it  worse."  But 
Sinful  earnestly  maintained  the  correctness  of  his 
diagnosis. 

They  turned  to  at  one  bell,  and  worked  for  an 
hour;  then  they  mutinously  quit  their  tasks, 
stripped  and  washed  off  the  sulphur.  A  change  of 
underwear  followed,  and  for  a  while  they  felt  bet- 
ter ;  but  at  supper-time  the  itching  and  burning  had 
returned.  They  were  not  polite  in  their  remarks  to 
Sinful,  and  that  evening  he  had  twenty-six  socks 
and  twenty-six  pieces  of  underwear  added  to  his 

150 


Sinful    Peck 

wash-list.  Smiling  cheerfully  in  the  darkness,  he 
set  to  work. 

In  the  morning  the  soldiers  on  guard  would  have 
reported  the  matter  to  the  health  doctor  ashore, 
but,  as  the  men  were  able  to  work  and  the  disease 
showed  no  signs  of  spreading,  Mr.  Becker,  with  the 
assistance  of  Sinful,  overruled  them. 

So  while  the  miserable  days  of  waiting  for  the 
captain's  recovery  and  their  prospective  release 
wore  along,  they  were  kept  at  light  tasks  about  the 
deck,  the  heavier  cargo  work  being  done  by  natives 
from  ashore.  Sinful  advised  the  suffering  men  not 
to  bathe  so  frequently,  as  water  was  bad  for  the 
itch  or  any  cutaneous  affection ;  but  finding  invari- 
ably a  temporary  relief  after  a  bath  and  change  of 
clothing,  and  ascribing  his  suggestion  to  an  inter- 
ested motive,  they  continued  the  practice,  and  kept 
him  busy  each  night  at  the  wash-tub. 

But  the  nightly  labor  and  loss  of  sleep  may  have 
told  upon  his  self-control.  He  came  aft  one  morn- 
ing when  the  ship  was  nearly  loaded,  and  showed 
his  hands  and  wrists  to  the  mate  and  the  soldier 
on  guard.  He  angrily  demanded  to  be  taken  out 
of  the  forecastle ;  he  had  caught  the  contagion  from 
fools  who  would  not  follow  his  advice.  And  he  had 


Sinful    Peck 

not  shipped  to  work  on  deck  all  day  for  the  owners, 
and  half  the  night  as  wash-woman  for  the  crew. 

He  was  too  insolent,  and  Mr.  Becker  promptly 
knocked  him  down ;  but  the  next  moment  the  mate 
felt  the  prick  of  the  soldier's  bayonet. 

"Just  what  I've  been  waiting  for,  you  inhuman 
brute,"  said  the  soldier.  "Now,  you'll  go  ashore 
under  arrest,  and  we'll  have  medical  relief  for  these 
men." 

The  mate  paled,  but  said  nothing,  and  as  the 
disfigured  Sinful  crept  forward,  the  soldier  roused 
his  comrade,  hailed  a  passing  government  steam- 
launch,  and  had  Mr.  Becker  into  it,  bound  shore- 
ward, before  the  men  forward  knew  what  had  hap- 
pened. 

But  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  Mr.  Becker 
came  back,  in  the  same  steam-launch  that  had  orig- 
inally brought  the  inspector  of  customs,  and  with 
him  were  this  inspector,  Mr.  Brown,  and  a  gaunt, 
hollow-eyed  spectre  whom  the  crew  with  difficulty 
recognized  as  Captain  Jackson,  master  of  the  ship, 
and  another  white-clad  officer,  with  the  insignia  of 
a  surgeon  on  his  collar.  They  helped  the  captain 
up  the  gangway  and  seated  him  in  a  deck-chair; 
then  Mr.  Becker  called  Sinful  Peck  aft.  Sinful  came. 

152 


Sinful    Peck 

"I  didn't  know  you  were  disrated,  Peck,"  said 
the  captain,  weakly.  "I  had  a  relapse  after  I 
chartered  the  ship,  and  Lieutenant  Seward,  whom 
you  depended  upon  to  tell  me,  was  sent  inland. 
He  has  just  returned.  Mr.  Becker  is  fined  a  good 
portion  of  his  pay  by  the  Provost  Court,  and  I  hope 
there  will  be  no  more  trouble.  Get  your  dunnage 
into  the  third  mate's  room,  and  send  your  thirteen 
friends  aft  to  me." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Sinful,  with  his  sweetest 
smile,  and  went  forward.  Then  came  the  thirteen 
sufferers  and  stood  before  the  captain. 

"I  am  a  very  sick  man,"  said  he;  "too  sick  to 
care  for  any  more  trouble  with  my  crew  for  a  while. 
I  have  cleared  for  Shanghai,  and  there  is  nothing  to 
settle  but  your  case.  The  mate  informs  me  that 
you  have  behaved  well,  are  anxious  to  be  dis- 
charged, and  are  willing  to  pay  for  it.  I  would 
not  take  your  money,  and  as  there  are  plenty  of 
men  ashore,  will  discharge  you  if  the  health  officer 
will  permit.  But  I  hear  you  are  down  with  some 
contagion." 

They  showed  him  their  breasts  and  arms,  and  the 
surgeon  drew  near. 

"Don't  know  what  it  is,  capt'n,"  said  Bigpig, 


Sinful    Peck 

"unless  it's  aggravated  prickly  heat.  That  isn't 
contagious." 

"  He  swears  it's  the  dhobie's  itch,"  said  the  mate, 
pointing  at  Sinful,  who  had  joined  the  group. 

"  It  is  not  that,"  said  the  surgeon.  "  We  are  all 
too  familiar  with  that  ashore  to  fear  it,  or  to  bar  it 
out  as  contagion.  I  don't  know  what  it  is.  Such 
an  aggravated  rash,  so  similar  on  so  many  men, 
never  came  into  my  experience." 

"  But  it  is  contagious,  sir,"  said  Sinful,  dropping 
his  dunnage  to  the  deck  and  displaying  his  wrists. 
"They've  made  me  wash  their  clothes  for  a  month, 
and  this  morning  I  found  this  eruption." 

"They  cannot  land,  captain,"  said  the  surgeon. 
"The  rules  are  very  strict,  with  so  many  unaccli- 
mated  soldiers  on  the  island.  You  must  take  them 
to  sea." 

"Very  well.  You  hear,  men?  You  must  make 
the  best  of  it,  and" — he  sank  back  with  a  sigh — 
"so  must  I." 

With  desperation  in  their  woe-begone  faces,  they 
slowly  moved  forward. 

Next  day,  as  the  ship  was  passing  Cavite  on  the 
way  out  to  sea,  Captain  Jackson  called  his  newly 
installed  third  mate  up  to  him. 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Mr.  Peck,"  he  said,  "  you  are  a  shrewd  man  and 
a  physician.  What  is  the  matter  with  those  men?" 

Sinful  looked  gravely  in  his  face. 

"They'll  murder  me,  captain,  if  they  ever  find 
out;  but  it's  nothing  that  soap  and  water  won't 
remedy.  Let  them  wash  their  own  clothes,  and 
rinse  them  well.  As  long  as  they  made  me  wash 
them  I  dosed  the  rinsing- water  with  croton  oil." 


XVIII 

EVEN  with  a  contented,  respectful  crew  forward 
and  friendly  superiors  aft,  a  third  mate's  berth 
is  not  a  sinecure.  He  is  at  the  beck  and  call  of 
every  sailor  who  wants  more  paint,  more  oil  or  tar 
—who  wants  his  scraper  sharpened,  or  is  dissatis- 
fied with  his  marline-spike.  When  the  day's  work 
at  sea  is  done  he  must  know  that  everything  is 
stowed  away  in  its  proper  place,  and  in  sail  trim- 
ming or  shortening  must  be  first  to  spring  to  a  rope 
or  into  the  rigging.  In  the  night  watches  he  is  but 
an  aid  to  the  first  mate,  and  derives  his  authority 
from  him,  possessing  no  influence  over  the  men  that 
he  cannot  base  upon  his  popularity  with  them,  and 
receiving  no  respect  from  them  that  he  cannot  en- 
force from  his  superior  seamanship.  Navigation — 
the  science  of  the  sextant,  chart,  and  log-book — he 
is  not  supposed  to  know,  and  any  display  of  such 
knowledge  would  be  an  affront  to  his  superiors,  one 
of  whom,  the  second  mate,  is  also  immune  from  the 

156 


Sinful    Peck 

requirement.  With  everything  in  his  favor  he  is 
sure  to  be  unhappy;  and  Sinful  Peck,  though  as 
active,  intelligent,  and  willing  a  worker  as  the  ship 
contained,  began  the  passage  from  Manila  to  Shang- 
hai under  as  unfavorable  conditions  as  ever  con- 
fronted a  third  mate. 

The  twelve  landsmen  of  the  crew,  dull,  apathetic, 
limited  men,  disliked  him  with  the  jealous  antipa- 
thy which  ignorance  feels  for  superiority  but  lately 
lifted  above  it.  The  thirteen  others,  his  townsmen 
— his  peers  in  brain,  professional  knowledge,  and 
experience — nursed  no  such  cheap  emotion  as  this, 
but  rather  a  sense  of  injury  and  defeat  and  desire 
for  reprisal  which,  in  the  minds  of  such  men,  held 
more  of  menace  towards  Sinful  than  would  be  the 
hatred  of  a  worldful  of  weaklings.  The  two  boat- 
swains, the  carpenter,  the  steward,  and  the  cook 
were  quiet,  peace-loving  men,  ready  at  all  times  to 
follow  the  line  of  least  resistance ;  but  the  first  and 
second  mate  joined  the  landsmen  in  their  jealous 
disapproval  of  him,  and  supplemented  this  feeling 
with  the  sense  of  injury  and  defeat  felt  by  Sinful' s 
thirteen  compatriots.  His  one  friend  in  the  ship 
was  the  captain  who  had  promoted  him,  a  man 
unable  to  stand  erect,  or  to  speak  in  a  loud  voice. 


Sinful    Peck 

At  the  first  Sinful  was  not,  or  perhaps  did  not 
care  to  be,  diplomatic.  He  made  no  secret  of  his 
contempt  for  the  two  mates  above  him,  repeating 
their  orders  when  given  him  with  a  flippancy  of  tone 
that  was  more  than  exasperating,  and  delivering 
them  to  the  men  with  a  ring  and  a  snap  that  spoke 
whole  paeans  of  triumph.  It  brought  results  before 
sail  was  made.  The  irritable  Seldom  Helward,  in- 
censed at  Sinful' s  unnecessary  repetition  of  an  or- 
der to  "loose  that  fore-royal,"  sprang  upon  him, 
shook  .him  vigorously,  and  hurled  him  twenty  feet 
along  the  deck.  The  first  and  second  mate,  though 
looking  directly  at  the  fracas,  turned  their  backs, 
pretending  not  to  see ;  but  Captain  Jackson,  reclin- 
ing in  his  invalid's  chair  on  top  of  the  after-house, 
attached  more  importance  to  the  episode.  He  sat 
erect,  and  as  the  mutinous  Seldom  mounted  the  rail 
to  obey  Sinful' s  order,  and  Sinful  picked  himself  up, 
smiling  cheerfully,  he  called  his  three  officers  up  to 
him.  They  came,  Sinful  still  smiling,  but  limping 
painfully  and  rubbing  his  elbow. 

"  I  have  noticed,  Mr.  Becker,"  said  the  captain  to 
the  first  mate,  "  and  Mr.  Brown" — he  looked  at  the 
second — "an  antagonism  between  you  two  and  Mr. 
Peck.  It  must  end  at  once.  I  have  made  him 

158 


Sinful    Peck 

third  mate,  and  he  is  one  of  yourselves,  though, 
perhaps,  from  his  small  stature  unable  to  hold  his 
own  in  a  personal  encounter  with  any  of  the  men. 
Did  you  see  him  assaulted  just  now?" 

"I  didn't  see  any  assault,  capt'n,"  answered  Mr. 
Becker,  somewhat  sheepishly.  The  second  mate 
also  declared  his  blindness. 

"I  saw  it,  and  I  saw  you  both  look  elsewhere. 
Now,  we  are  good  for  a  month  at  sea  with  the  worst 
crew  that  ever  happened,  and  you  begin  the  first 
day  with  your  antipathies  towards  one  another.  I 
want  you  to  shake  hands,  suppress  your  feelings, 
and  remember  that  you  are  officers  who  may  at  any 
moment  be  called  upon  to  put  down  mutiny.  Is 
there  any  grievance — anything  unexplained,  which 
may  be  settled  at  once?" 

"Nothin'  but  his  blamed  lip  when  he  was  'fore 
the  mast,"  growled  Mr.  Becker.  "  An'  a  first  mate 
is  usually  consulted  when  a  man's  taken  out  o'  the 
fo'castle,  sir.  I  don't  see  no  medals  on  him." 

"  I  am  the  judge  of  his  competency.  He  nursed 
you  when  crippled,  took  your  place  for  a  time,  and 
did  your  work  well.  Mr.  Brown,  what  have  you 
against  Mr.  Peck?" 

"  Nothin'  but  what  the  mate  says,  sir — except 


Sinful    Peck 

that  he  was  mighty  quick  to  shoot  me  outside  o' 
Singapore." 

"  He  shot  you  for  maltreating  him  against  my 
orders.  He  also  nursed  you.  The  action  of  those 
men  at  the  time  in  promptly  taking  advantage  of 
the  situation  and  dictating  terms  to  me  ought  to  be 
a  warning  to  you.  They  are  the  same  men.  Do 
you  carry  your  pistols?" 

They  all  affirmed  that  they  did,  Sinful  adding 
that  since  he  had  shot  Mr.  Brown  he  had  suffered 
remorse  that  would  forever  prevent  him  from 
again  using  a  pistol  unless  his  life  were  in  dan- 
ger. 

"For  it's  an  awful  thing,  captain,"  he  said,  ear- 
nestly, "  to  have  the  blood  of  a  fellow-man  on  your 
hands." 

"It  depends  a  good  deal  on  the  fellow-man," 
said  the  captain,  dryly.  "  But  the  feeling  is  cred- 
itable. You  surely  hold  no  grudge  against  Mr. 
Brown  or  Mr.  Becker?" 

"  Not  at  all,  captain.  For  both  of  them  I  en- 
tertain feelings  of  the  highest  respect.  I  regret  the 
false  position  in  which  I  have  been  placed,  which 
has  prevented  them  from  understanding  me,  and  I 
welcome  this  opportunity  to  make  myself  clear.  I 

1 60 


Sinful    Peck 

sincerely  hope  that  we  can  finish  the  voyage  in 
amity  and  good-fellowship." 

Some  of  the  words  were  lost  on  the  first  mate, 
towards  whom  Sinful  turned  as  he  finished  the 
speech,  but  his  earnest  manner  and  extended  hand 
were  understandable,  and  with  a  slight  softening 
of  his  rugged  countenance  he  took  Sinful' s  hand, 
stammering,  "  Hope  we'll  get  on  all  right." 

"  And,  Mr.  Brown,"  continued  Sinful,  fully  as  ear- 
nestly, to  trie  second  mate,  "  I  want  you  to  forgive, 
if  you  will,  my  impulsive  action  in  shooting  you  a 
few  months  back.  Let  me  assure  you,  sir,  that  the 
regret  and  remorse,  and  the  fear  that  you  would  die, 
have  been  punishment  to  me  far  greater  than  the 
pain  attending  your  wound." 

Such  polished  diction  was  irresistible.  The  sec- 
ond mate's  seamy  face  expanded  to  a  smile,  and 
he,  too,  took  the  extended  hand. 

"That's  all  right,  Mr.  Peck,"  he  said.  "You're 
forrard  then,  and  now  you're  aft;  so  we've  got  to 
pull  together." 

"That  is  well,"  remarked  the  captain.     "Now, 

call  that  man  Helward  down  from  aloft  and  put 

him  in  irons— and  understand,  no  temporizing  with 

this  crew.     If  you  weaken  in  the  least  they  will  take 

ii  161 


Sinful    Peck 

advantage.  The  law  forbids  you  to  resent  insolence 
from  a  sailor  by  assault,  but  you  may  legally  order 
him  to  any  work  as  punishment,  and  if  he  refuses, 
you  may  order  him  in  irons  and  shoot  him  if  he 
resists.  That  is  the  law." 

As  they  turned  away,  a  long-drawn,  throaty  hail 
came  from  aloft:  "Sheet  home  the  fore-royal,  sir," 
and  the  men  forward,  who,  in  the  absence  of  su- 
pervision, had  clustered  in  groups,  watching  the 
confab  on  the  after-house,  sprang  to  the  royal  gear 
and  waited  orders.  But  none  came.  The  captain, 
sinking  back  in  his  chair  from  weakness,  called  to 
his  departing  officers :  "  Never  mind  the  royal.  Get 
him  down  and  iron  him." 

"All  right,  sir,"  answered  Mr.  Becker,  and  then, 
funnelling  his  hands,  he  sent  a  thundering  roar  at 
the  man  on  the  fore  -  royal  yard.  "  Come  down 
from  aloft.  D'ye  hear  up  there?  Come  down." 

Seldom  descended,  and  the  first  and  second  mate 
went  forward  to  meet  him,  while  Sinful  entered  the 
cabin  and  emerged  with  a  pair  of  wrist-irons;  but 
he  discreetly  remained  aft.  As  Seldom  dropped 
from  the  rail  to  the  deck,  Mr.  Becker  shoved  a  pistol 
into  his  face,  and  Mr.  Brown,  holding  another  at 
arm's-length  by  his  side,  looked  sternly  and  sig- 

162 


Sinful    Peck 

nificantly  into  the  serious  faces  of  the  other  men, 
who  were  drawing  near. 

"Up  with  your  hands  —  quick,"  tersely  com- 
manded the  mate. 

Seldom  was  quick.  He  knocked  the  pistol  up- 
ward and  it  discharged  its  bullet  over  his  head; 
then,  with  a  furious  imprecation  he  clinched  the 
mate,  and  the  two,  locked  tightly,  wrestled  and 
whirled  about  the  deck,  struggling  for  possession 
of  the  weapon.  Some  of  the  men  secured  belaying- 
pins,  but  Mr.  Brown's  levelled  pistol  and  threat- 
ening language  prevented  them  from  joining  the 
fray,  which  was  over  almost  as  soon  as  begun.  The 
mate  was  seasoned  and  muscular,  but  not  quite 
as  much  so  as  Seldom,  who,  at  a  favorable  moment, 
brought  both  hands  to  bear  upon  the  firearm  and 
wrenched  it  away  from  the  officer.  Then,  his  fero- 
cious face  purple  with  rage  and  exertion,  he  struck 
him  down  with  his  fist  and  sprang  back,  cocking 
the  pistol. 


XIX 

BLAST  your  soul!"  he  yelled.     "What's  this 
for?     What—" 

His  back  was  towards  Mr.  Brown,  who  interrupt- 
ed the  speech  by  gripping  his  collar  and  pressing 
the  cold  muzzle  of  his  revolver  into  the  hair-roots 
at  the  back  of  his  head.  Now  was  the  critical  mo- 
ment for  those  men,  were  they  seriously  engaged  in 
mutiny,  to  have  interfered.  But  they  were  not  en- 
gaged in  mutiny,  and  interference  would  surely  re- 
sult fatally  for  Seldom.  They  held  back. 

"  Lower  that  gun,"  commanded  the  second  mate, 
"  or  I'll  blow  your  head  off.  Stoop  down  and  lay  it 
on  the  deck.  Don't  wriggle,  blast  you,  or  you'll 
die." 

The  cold  muzzle  was  persuasive.  Seldom  wav- 
ered but  a  moment,  his  head  slowly  moving  to  the 
right  and  left,  then,  stooping,  he  deposited  the  pistol 
on  the  deck,  and  the  furious  Mr.  Becker,  now  on  his 
feet,  seized  it  and  covered  the  men. 

164 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Don't  ye  make  no  breaks,  damn  ye,"  he  splut- 
tered in  his  rage.  "  Keep  back.  March  him  aft, 
Mr.  Brown." 

With  the  second  mate's  hand  on  his  collar,  and 
the  pistol  still  at  the  back  of  his  head,  Seldom  was 
marched  aft  to  where  Sinful  waited  at  the  miz- 
zen  hatch;  and  when  the  mate  was  satisfied  that 
the  men  meant  no  present  demonstration,  he  fol- 
lowed. 

With  as  sad  an  expression  as  he  could  assume, 
Sinful  snapped  the  manacles  on  the  conquered  Sel- 
dom's  wrists. 

"This  is  a  most  painful  duty,  Seldom,  I  assure 
you,"  he  began ;  but  he  said  no  more.  By  a  sudden 
back  movement  of  his  head  he  barely  avoided  the 
impact  of  Seldom' s  two  fists  on  his  face,  and  stepped 
aside,  out  of  range. 

"Jackson,"  shouted  the  enraged  man  to  the  cap- 
tain, who  was  leaning  forward  in  his  chair  and  look- 
ing down  on  them,  "what  am  I  ironed  for?  What 
right  have  you  to  put  me  in  irons?" 

"  For  assault  upon  my  third  officer.  I  am  within 
the  law.  Remember  that.  Make  him  fast  in  the 
lazarette,  Mr.  Becker." 

"Within  the  law,  are  you?"  yelled  Seldom. 
165 


Sinful    Peck 

"Then,  by  God,  the  law  will  be  changed!  I'm  no 
slave.  I'll  make  things  hot  for  you  when  I  get 
back,  and  don't  you  forget  it." 

"Take  him  below,  and  send  the  crew  aft — all 
hands.  And,  steward,"  said  the  captain  to  this 
functionary,  who  just  then  appeared  at  his  side 
with  a  shot-gun,  "feed  that  man  hard  bread  and 
water  with  the  full  allowance  every  fifth  day." 

While  Seldom,  profanely  expressing  his  opinion 
of  Captain  Jackson,  his  officers,  and  the  law  of  his 
country,  was  led  up  the  poop  steps  and  aft  to  the 
lazarette,  Mr.  Brown  summoned  the  crew.  When 
they  had  mustered  beneath  the  captain  he  address- 
ed them. 

.  "Men,"  he  said,  weakly,  for  the  excitement  was 
telling  upon  him,  "  you  have  seen  one  of  your  num- 
ber ironed  and  put  upon  bread-and-water  for  in- 
subordination and  assault  upon  an  officer.  This 
will  happen  to  each  and  all  of  you  if  you  duplicate 
his  offence,  and  you  will  serve  a  sentence  in  jail  at 
Shanghai,  as  he  will.  On  the  other  hand — and  I 
speak  particularly  now  to  you  thirteen  men  from 
Cleveland — I  am  willing  to  pay  you  off  at  Shanghai, 
as  I  would  have  done  at  Manila  had  you  not  been 
suffering  from  an  eruption  of  the  skin  which  the 

166 


Sinful    Peck 

health  officer  considered  contagious — but  only  on 
condition  that  you  give  me  no  more  trouble.  I  am 
a  very  sick  man,  and  cannot  stand  it.  I  am  ex- 
tremely anxious  to  be  rid  of  you,  but  would  as 
soon  put  you  in  jail  as  discharge  you.  Take  your 
choice." 

"That's  a  fair  proposition,  captain,"  spoke  up 
Bigpig  Monahan,  "and  I  can  say  for  all  of  us  that 
we  have  meant  no  trouble,  in  this  very  hope  o'  get- 
ting clear  of  the  ship  and  back  home.  But  Sel- 
dom's  hot-tempered,  and  your  third  mate  devilled 
him  into  the  break  he  made.  And  as  for  that  erup- 
tion of  the  skin,  why,  we've  figured  it  out.  There's 
a  big  empty  bottle  labelled  croton  oil  in  the  fore- 
castle, and  it  was  full  when  Sinful  brought  it  forrard 
to  doctor  his  leg.  He  never  used  any  on  his  leg. 
He  put  that  stuff  in  the  wash-tub  when  he  washed 
our  clothes,  and  it  brought  out  the  rash  that  fooled 
the  doctor  at  Manila." 

The  captain  was  too  feeble  to  smile,  but  the  face 
of  the  second  mate  took  on  a  quivering  grin,  and 
even  the  saturnine  countenance  of  Mr.  Becker  look- 
ed cheerful  for  a  moment.  Sinful's  was  non-com- 
mittal. 

"You  made  him  wash  clothes  for  you  until  one 
167 


Sinful    Peck 

or  two  in  the  morning,  I  hear,"  said  the  captain. 
"Can  you  blame  him?" 

"  Not  exactly,  capt'n ;  it's  tit  for  tat.  He  crimped 
us  at  New  York,  and  ever  since  has  played  these 
tricks  to  compel  us  to  finish  the  voyage  with  him. 
When  we've  had  him  forrard  we've  squared  up — 
that's  all.  Now,  capt'n,  I  want  to  ask,  at  the  same 
time  that  I  promise  for  the  rest  that  we'll  act  right 
and  do  our  work  until  we  get  to  Shanghai,  that 
you'll  let  Seldom  out.  He's  with  us  on  this  good 
conduct  deal,  and  unless  he's  aggravated  wouldn't 
harm  a  fly." 

"  No.  He  will  remain  in  irons  and  go  to  jail  until 
the  ship  is  ready  to  leave  Shanghai,  when  he  will  be 
brought  aboard  and  put  to  work." 

"  Very  well,  capt'n  " — and  Bigpig's  face  straight- 
ened--'^^ you  know  why  we  submit  to  this. 
Three  mates  and  yourself,  armed  night  and  day— 

"That  will  do,"  interrupted  the  captain. 

The  three  mates  had  remained  on  the  main-deck 
close  to  the  poop  -  steps.  At  the  promise  of  re- 
newed friction  contained  in  Bigpig's  words,  Mr. 
Becker  and  Mr.  Brown  stiffened  up,  ready  for  ac- 
tion; but  Sinful  spoke,  for  the  first  time. 

"Captain,"  he  saifl,  looking  upward,  "  this  man's 
168 


Sinful    Peck 

mention  of  arms  brings  the  matter  close  to  myself. 
I  have  spoken  of  my  scruples  against  shooting  a 
fellow-man,  unless  my  life  is  threatened.  I  could 
not  shoot  a  dog,  even  one  of  these  dogs.  My  life  is 
in  no  danger  from  them;  they  are  too  cowardly. 
Banded  together  they  have  overcome  and  misused 
me,  but  not  a  cur  among  them  would  dare  face  me 
alone.  Now,  with  regard  to  my  scruples  against 
having  blood  upon  my  hands,  and  the  chance  that 
two  or  more  of  these  brutes  may  seize  me  unawares 
some  time  and  disarm  me,  it  is  best  that  I  carry  no 
pistol.  In  their  hands  it  would  be  a  menace  to  you 
and  my  superior  officers.  Mr.  Becker,  here  is  my 
gun."  He  handed  a  pistol  to  the  wondering  mate, 
and  stepped  towards  the  group  of  men.  "You 
heard,  did  you  not,"  he  said  to  Bigpig,  a  giant  who 
overtopped  him  by  more  than  a  foot,  "  what  I  said? 
You  are  dogs  and  cowards.  I  am  unarmed  and  do 
not  fear  to  tell  you.  I  rely  solely  upon  your  cow- 
ardice and  my  own  sense  of  right.  Not  a  man 
among  you  dare  raise  your  hand  against  an  unarmed 
officer,  smaller  than  the  smallest  of  you." 

"Mr.  Peck,"  called  out  the  captain,  warningly; 
but  the  mischief  was  done.  It  was  a  brave  speech, 
even  from  a  man  confident  of  his  backing,  for  the 

169 


Sinful    Peck 

captain  had  depressed  his  shot-gun  and  the  two 
mates  had  drawn  their  pistols.  But  it  was  too 
much  for  the  even-tempered  Bigpig,  and  for  the 
first  time  he  lost  his  self-control.  With  a  contemp- 
tuous half -grin  on  his  face  he  brought  his  open  hand 
around  at  arm's-length  and  smote  Sinful  in  the  face, 
much  as  a  big  school-boy  strikes  a  smaller.  The 
little  man  seemed  to  curl  up  in  the  air,  and  before 
he  reached  the  deck  Tosser  Galvin's  big  boot  caught 
him  and  sped  him  towards  the  companion-door,  into 
which  he  floundered.  He  stood  up  a  moment  later, 
wheezing  with  pain  and  rage— ready  for  more ;  but 
by  this  time  Bigpig  and  Tosser  were  covered  by  two 
revolvers  and  a  shot-gun,  and  the  feeble  voice  of  the 
captain  had  said:  "Iron  those  two  men." 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  so,"  said  Bigpig,  wearily,  with  his 
hands  uplifted.  "  But  understand,  capt'n,  I  didn't 
strike  an  officer.  I  struck  a  little  wretch  who  for- 
got he  was  an  officer.  This  won't  bear — 

"Shut  up!"  ordered  the  first  mate.  "Mr.  Peck, 
can  you  get  the  irons — two  pair?" 

Sinful  could,  though  he  limped  on  both  legs  now, 
and  displayed  a  fair  imitation  of  one-sided  mumps. 
He  disappeared  in  the  cabin  and  returned  with  the 
manacles.  Silently  and  smilingly  he  secured  them 

170 


Sinful    Peck 

on  the  wrists  of  the  offenders,  then  turned  to  the 
mate  with  the  remark:  "  I  took  the  liberty  to  count 
the  supply,  sir.  There  are  ten  pair  more  —  just 
enough  to  go  around." 

"  Understand  this,  too,  captain,"  said  Tosser, 
shaking  his  two  fists  upward.  "  Look  out  for  your- 
self when  we  get  back." 

"Put  them  in  the  lazarette,"  said  the  captain. 
Then,  while  Bigpig  and  Tosser  climbed  the  steps  on 
the  way  to  their  prison,  he  addressed  the  others. 

"The  action  of  these  men,"  he  said,  "does  not 
affect  my  promise  to  discharge  you  if  you  make  no 
further  trouble.  If  you  do,  you  are  liable  to  be 
shot,  or  you  will  go  in  irons  and  to  jail,  and  then 
finish  the  voyage  with  these  three.  Take  your 
choice." 

His  last  words  were  whispered.  He  sank  back  in 
a  faint,  and  was  attended  by  the  steward,  while  the 
men,  urged  by  the  menacing  pistols  and  threaten- 
ing eyes  of  the  mates,  moved  sullenly  forward.  At 
the  mate's  order,  one  went  aloft  to  overhaul  the 
gear,  and  the  fore-royal  was  set.  Then  followed  the 
rest  of  the  canvas,  the  tug  was  dropped,  and  they 
worked  through  the  day,  moodily  but  quietly. 


XX 


IN  spite  of  his  severe  punishment  at  the  hands  of 
Bigpig  and  Tosser,  and  the  probability  that  it 
would  be  repeated  by  one  or  more  of  the  sullen 
men  whom  he  had  stigmatized  as  curs  and  cowards, 
Sinful  stoutly  refused  to  carry  arms,  even  against 
the  urgent  advice  of  his  brother  officers. 

"  For  they  will  not  dare  kill  me,"  he  maintained, 
"  nor — now  that  the  three  worst  are  out  of  the  way 
— assault  me  singly ;  and  I  know  that  if  I  was  armed 
when  Monahan  struck  me  I  would  have  shot  him 
dead.  That  is  a  result  I  do  not  wish  for.  No ;  all  I 
need  is  to  avoid  them  at  night." 

This  he  did,  never  leaving  the  protection  of  the 
mate's  pistol  in  the  night  watches.  Luckily,  per- 
haps, the  weather  was  easy  and  there  was  no  need 
of  his  presence  among  them  in  shortening  sail.  But 
in  the  broad  light  of  day  he  went  fearlessly  to  and 
fro,  directing  them  at  routine  work  with  sneer  and 
insult  and  objurgation.  Had  Captain  Jackson  been 

172 


Sinful    Peck 

wiser  he  might  not  have  removed  from  them  the  re- 
straining influence  of  Bigpig  Monahan,  their  spokes- 
man and  leader,  even  in  company  with  the  pug- 
nacity of  Seldom  and  Tosser;  for  the  master-mind 
now  was  Poopdeck  Cahill,  a  man  of  dignity  and  re- 
finement, the  last  of  all  to  wish  for  trouble,  but  the 
more  vulnerable  on  this  account  to  the  gibes  of  Sin- 
ful. Poopdeck  kept  them  in  order  for  a  week,  then 
laid  aside  the  mantle  of  civilization  and  appeared  a 
natural  man,  but  a  paleolithic  man — an  animal — 
a  raging  wild  beast.  Sinful  was  purple  in  the  face 
when  Mr.  Brown  arrived  with  an  iron  belaying-pin, 
and  assuredly  would  have  died  right  there — on  his 
back  with  Poopdeck  kneeling  on  his  chest — had  not 
the  belaying-pin  crashed  down  and  caused  a  di- 
version which  relieved  the  stricture  on  his  wind- 
pipe. A  vigorous  thumping  between  the  shoulder- 
blades  started  his  lungs  at  work,  and  he  was  soon 
able  to  snap  the  irons  on  the  wrists  of  the  uncon- 
scious Poopdeck  and  assist  in  dragging  him  to  the 
lazarette.  Here,  backed  by  the  presence  of  the 
first  mate  and  his  gun,  he  nursed  back  Poopdeck' s 
senses,  and,  before  following  the  mate  up  the  hatch, 
gravely  admonished  the  manacled  four  on  the  evil 
of  their  ways.  When  the  mate  had  gone  forward, 


Sinful    Peck 

however,  he  peered  down  and  reviled  them  earnest- 
ly and  bitterly,  as  cowards,  poltroons,  bullies,  dogs, 
and  dock-rats.  They  replied  in  kind,  but,  their 
hands  being  fettered,  threw  nothing  at  him. 

Yet,  when  a  man  has  gone  down  into  the  deep, 
dark  valley  and  returned,  he  is  apt  to  feel  for  some 
time  a  more  or  less  earnest  regard  for  the  conditions 
which  sent  him  there,  and  Sinful,  though  as  intrepid 
a  character  as  ever  went  to  sea,  could  not  but  have 
been  impressed  by  his  late  experience  with  the 
frenzied  Poopdeck.  Though  still  refusing  to  arm 
himself,  he  no  longer  boasted  of  his  immunity  from 
danger,  and  even  voiced  an  opposite  view  of  the 
case,  declaring  that  he  now  feared  to  go  among 
them,  and  urging  upon  his  brother  officers — over 
whom,  from  his  superior  education,  tact,  and  con- 
versational powers,  he  was  acquiring  a  dominating 
influence — the  necessity  of  strong,  coercive  meas- 
ures in  dealing  with  such  murderous  scoundrels. 
The  brother  officers  responded  —  the  murderous 
scoundrels  were  deprived  of  their  afternoon  watch 
below,  and,  though  displaying  unusual  activity  and 
zeal  in  their  work,  were  spoken  to  after  the  manner 
of  convict  camps  and  Mississippi  steamboats. 

Sinful  himself  spoke  softly  to  them,  either  from 


Sinful    Peck 

his  changed  attitude  or  from  the  abiding  effects  of 
Poopdeck's  clutch — an  irritant  sore  throat  which 
made  loud  language  painful — until,  the  captain  be- 
ing recovered  sufficiently  to  walk  about  the  decks 
and  assert  a  little  of  a  captain's  dignity,  he  roused 
himself  to  the  duties  of  his  position,  and,  his  throat 
being  better,  out-officered  the  other  two  in  abuse 
and  vituperation.  Also,  did  he  make  for  himself 
— not  to  use  upon  them,  as  he  explained  to  the 
cautious  and  law-abiding  captain,  but  as  a  symbol 
of  authority — an  instrument  of  torture  from  three 
short  lengths  of  tarred  rope,  which,  when  finished, 
was  half  knout  and  half  cat-o' -nine-tails.  This  he 
carried  continually,  flourishing  it  menacingly  as  he 
approached  the  men ;  and  when  there  was  a  sudden 
call  to  trim  sail,  and  they  rushed  to  the  braces  in 
squads  of  four  or  more,  he  would  fall  into  their  wake 
as  though  chasing  them,  swishing  his  whip  over 
their  heads  and  repeating  sharply,  again  and  again, 
the  orders  of  the  mate.  They  stood  this  for  a  day ; 
then,  when  he  had  pursued  Shiner  O'Toole  and 
General  Lannigan  to  the  forehatch,  enjoining  upon 
them  the  need  of  haste  in  procuring  swabs  and 
buckets  from  under  the  top-gallant  forecastle,  they 
turned  suddenly,  threw  him  upon  the  hatch,  and 


Sinful    Peck 

— one  at  his  head,  the  other  at  his  heels — held  him 
face  downward  while  Moccassey  Gill,  a  man  of  mus- 
cle and  weight,  ran  down  from  the  forecastle  deck 
and  picked  up  the  whip.  It  was  not  premeditated — 
just  a  fortuitous  concomitance  of  time,  place,  and 
men.  It  was  early  in  the  morning;  the  rest  of  the 
watch  and  the  mate  were  aft,  unable  to  see,  and  the 
men  who  had  captured  the  pestilent  tormentor  were 
the  three  of  the  crew  least  likely  to  think  of  con- 
sequences. 

Sinful  struggled  vainly  but  silently,  while  Moc- 
cassey peered  aft  on  one  side  of  the  forward  house, 
then,  crossing  the  deck,  peered  aft  on  the  other. 
With  glistening  eyes  and  a  lurid  smile,  he  then  re- 
turned to  the  hatch  and  said: 

"  Oh,  but  the  good  Lord  is  good  to  us.  Hold  him 
tight,  boys." 

"  What  you  going  to  do?"  snarled  the  captive. 

"  Whip  you,  my  son — whip  you  till  you've  learned 
something."  He  felt  of  the  three  parts  of  tarred 
rope.  "Such  a  nice  whip  as  he  has  made;  such  a 
regular  out-and-out  dog-whip — for  the  dogs.  He's 
put  buck-shot  in  the  ends.  Hold  him  tight,  the 
helyon — hold  him  tight." 

Moccassey  rolled  up  his  sleeve,  circled  the  whip 
176 


Sinful    Peck 

over  his  head,  and  brought  it  down  with  a  "  swish" 
on  the  back  of  Sinful.  The  little  man  quivered 
convulsively,  but  gritted  his  teeth  and  emitted 
no  sound.  Again  circled  the  whip,  and  again  it 
swished  down  on  the  shrinking  form  on  the  hatch. 
Sinful  closed  his  eyes,  while  his  face  grew  red,  the 
veins  on  his  forehead  bulged,  and  his  lips  parted  in 
an  angry  grin.  Shiner  and  General,  seated  on  the 
hatch  with  elevated  knees,  held  his  wrists  and 
ankles  with  viselike  grips.  As  the  whip  rose  again, 
one  of  the  watch  on  deck  came  around  the  corner 
of  the  house  carrying  a  bucket,  and  at  a  warning 
hiss  from  Moccassey  stepped  sideways,  out  of  sight 
of  those  aft,  and  placed  the  bucket  on  the  deck. 

"  That's  right,"  he  said,  with  an  approving  smile, 
"give  it  to  the  whelp." 

"Where's  Gunner  Meagher,  Turkey?"  asked 
Moccassey,  fingering  the  whip.  "  This  exhibition's 
free  to  all  residents  of  Cleveland." 

"Aft,  swabbin'  paint." 

"  He'll  miss  it.     Call  the  rest." 

Turkey  Twain  stepped  into  the  starboard  fore- 
castle, and  in  a  minute  emerged  with  Ghost  O'Brien, 
Jump  Black,  Sorry  Welch,  and  Yampaw  Gallegher, 
rubbing  their  eyes,  but  willing  to  lose  sleep  to  enjoy 

177 


Sinful    Peck 

the  spectacle.  They  surrounded  the  group  on  the 
hatch,  and  Moccassey  again  whirled  the  whip  aloft 
and  brought  it  down.  Still  the  suffering  victim 
made  no  sound  of  complaint;  nor  did  he  until  the 
tenth  stroke,  given  with  all  the  strength  of  a  strong 
man  warming  up  to  his  work,  brought  an  involun- 
tary, wheezing  groan  from  him. 

"  Curse  you!"  he  said,  as  he  writhed  and  twisted, 
and,  lifting  his  head,  glared  around  at  them.  "  Are 
you  trying  to  kill  me?  Are  you  all  here?  Get 
them  all." 

"All  but  Gunner,  my  son.     He's  busy." 

"  Here's  Gunner,"  whispered  one  of  the  men,  and 
Gunner  Meagher  and  his  bucket  appeared  among 
them. 

"For  God's  sake,  boys!"  he  exclaimed — "what 
does  this  mean?" 

"Tutelage  and  reprisal,  Gunner,"  answered  Moc- 
cassey. "  Keep  your  mouth  shut  and  look  on." 

"I  will  not.     This  is  unchristian." 

"  Dry  up,  Gunner,"  said  one,  in  a  low,  but  men- 
acing tone.  "  Go  below  and  pray,  if  you  like." 

Again  that  terrible  whip  came  down,  and  now 
Sinful  responded  with  an  ear-splitting  shriek.  It 
was  somewhat  disconcerting ;  the  men  separated  and 

178 


Sinful    Peck 

looked  anxiously  towards  the  corners  of  the  house. 
Then  around  the  port  corner  came  something  more 
disconcerting — the  first  mate,  with  a  belaying-pin 
in  one  hand  and  a  levelled  revolver  in  the  other. 
Shiner  and  General  released  the  captive  and  scram- 
bled to  their  feet ;  but  Sinful,  with  eyes  half  closed 
and  mouth  half  open,  remained  where  he  was. 

"Don't  shoot,  Mr.  Becker!"  shouted  Gunner, 
while  the  rest  scattered.  "  He  isn't  dead — merely 
in  a  faint.  It's  all  over.  Don't — " 


XXI 

BUT  Mr.  Becker  did  shoot,  and  Gunner  suffered 
the  usual  punishment  of  peacemakers.  The 
little  finger  of  his  raised  hand  received  the  bullet, 
and  the  first  joint  left  it.  He  looked  at  it,  shook 
the  blood  from  it  in  a  shower  of  drops,  then,  white 
with  rage,  sprang  at  the  mate.  Mr.  Becker  had 
paused  to  hurl  the  belaying-pin  at  Moccassey,  and 
when  Gunner's  long  right  arm  twined  around  his 
neck  he  had  not  recocked  the  revolver,  and  was 
now  prevented  by  Gunner's  obstructing  left  thumb, 
which,  with  the  other  fingers,  gripped  the  weapon. 
Once  more  a  furious  struggle  for  the  possession  of 
a  pistol  waged  on  that  forward  deck,  but  this  time 
promising  different  results.  Gunner,  though  lithe 
and  active,  was  no  match  for  the  heavier  mate,  and 
could  only  hamper  him  in  the  use  of  his  pistol,  while 
his  strength  lasted;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  those 
eight  men  were  more  than  half  committed  to  mu- 
tiny, and  had  little  to  lose  by  further  action.  They 

1 80 


Sinful    Peck 

acted.  Sorry  Welch  picked  up  the  belaying-pin 
that  had  impacted  on  Moccassey's  chest,  and  with 
a  wild  war-cry — inherited,  no  doubt,  from  his  Celtic 
ancestry — followed  by  "The  jig's  up,  boys;  let's 
take  the  ship  again,"  joined  the  fray.  Moccassey 
came  on  with  the  whip,  the  rest  secured  belay  ing- 
pins  from  the  rail,  and  Mr.  Becker  became  a  storm- 
centre. 

The  first  blow  on  the  mate's  head  loosened  his 
clutch  on  the  pistol,  and  Gunner  secured  it.  Then, 
while  the  rain  of  blows  continued,  and  the  mate, 
weakly  shielding  his  head  and  face  with  his  arms, 
led  them  slowly  along  the  deck  as  a  hornet  victim 
leads  the  swarm,  Gunner  ran  aft  with  the  pistol  and 
met  the  newly  wakened  captain  and  second  mate 
at  the  forward  cabin-door.  Each  carried  a  bright 
revolver,  but  neither  used  it  at  present.  Gunner, 
the  transformed,  had  covered  them  with  his  own. 

"  Put  them  down  on  the  deck,  men  of  Belial,"  he 
yelled,  while  his  white  face  worked  convulsively, 
and  the  blood  dripped  from  his  pistol-hand.  "  Put 
them  down,  or  you  will  enter  the  presence  of  your 
God.  Steward,  come  out  of  that." 

There  was  sudden  death  in  Gunner's  maniac  face, 
and  they  promptly  obeyed  him,  the  frightened 

181 


Sinful    Peck 

steward,  who,  after  rousing  them,  had  hovered  be- 
hind in  the  passage,  elevating  both  hands  in  token 
of  amity  as  he  hastened  out  on  deck.  Gunner 
backed  around  against  the  cabin,  so  that  he  could 
look  forward.  The  storm  of  battle  had  reached  the 
waist  of  the  ship,  and  the  mate  was  prone  upon  his 
face,  the  centre  of  an  angry  group  of  kicking,  strik- 
ing men,  over  whose  heads  rose  an  occasional  be- 
laying-pin  and  the  steady,  regular  whirl  of  Moc- 
cassey's  whip.  The  mate's  groans  could  not  be 
heard  for  their  cursings  and  the  swishing  sound  of 
that  terrible  whip ;  but  over  the  hubbub,  high  and 
clear,  rang  Gunner's  voice,  "  Come  aft  here  and  pick 
up  these  guns." 

Moccassey  Gill  and  a  few  others  left  the  crowd 
and  came  on  a  run,  but  they  did  not  prick  up  the 
guns.  A  pistol  spoke  from  forward,  and  Gunner 
dropped  the  weapon  in  his  hand  and  leaned  heavi- 
ly against  the  cabin,  holding  his  dangling  right 
arm  with  his  left  hand.  Captain  Jackson  and  Mr. 
Brown  recovered  their  pistols  and  the  one  dropped 
by  Gunner ;  but  before  there  was  time  to  bring  them 
to  bear  upon  the  advancing  men,  another  report 
came  from  forward,  and  Moccassey  received  a  bul- 
let. He  fell  to  the  deck ;  those  with  him  halted,  and 

182 


Sinful    Peck 

those  amidships  ceased  attentions  to  the  mate  and 
scattered  to  the  right  and  left,  seeking  cover.  At 
the  corner  of  the  forward  house,  leaning  against  a 
water-cask,  was  Sinful  Peck,  with  a  business  look 
on  his  face,  and  two  revolvers  in  his  hands,  both 
held  at  a  level  with  his  eyes. 

"Surrender!"  he  shouted.  "Surrender — give  it 
up,  or  I'll  drop  you  all,  one  by  one." 

"  Up  with  your  hands,  you  scoundrels,"  said  the 
captain,  advancing  with  his  second  mate.  "  Don't 
run — come  aft  here,  every  one  of  you.  Muster  at 
the  mizzen  hatch  with  your  hands  up." 

They  came  —  red  in  their  faces  and  breathing 
deeply  from  their  recent  exertions,  but  meekly— 
with  hands  raised. 

"The  mate  shot  Gunner,  capt'n,"  began  one,  in 
expostulation. 

"And  Mr.  Peck  shot  him  again.  That  is  well. 
You  are  fools ;  you  will  spend  your  time  at  Shanghai 
in  jail,  and  you  will  finish  this  voyage,  instead  of 
getting  your  discharge.  Mr.  Peck,  get  the  irons." 

Sinful  was  coming,  and  after  him  crept  Mr. 
Becker — a  wreck  of  a  man — who  only  reached  the 
hatch,  where  he  sat  down. 

Sinful  entered  the  cabin  and  returned  with  the 
183 


Sinful    Peck 

jangling  manacles,  which,  as  each  man  lowered  his 
hands  in  turn,  he  snapped  on  their  wrists.  But 
his  face  was  still  sober  and  business-like,  and  his 
tongue  quiet  until,  having  ironed  the  seven  stand- 
ing men,  he  turned  to  the  prostrate  Moccassey, 
lying  in  his  blood. 

"  Where  are  you  hit?"  he  asked,  in  the  tone  of  a 
physician. 

"  In  the  leg,  damn  you,"  groaned  Moccassey. 

"Serve  you  right  for  being  a  fool.  Did  you 
think  you  hurt  me,  with  a  quilted  lining  to  my 
shirt?" 

He  ironed  him,  and  then  turned  to  Gunner,  who 
had  sunk  to  the  deck. 

"  I'm  sorry,  Gunner,"  he  said,  gently,  "for  you 
were  the  one  man  to  express  sympathy  for  me. 
But  I  am  an  officer  here,  and  you  were  a  mutineer. 
Where  is  it — in  the  arm?  We'll  pull  you  through, 
old  man.  Just  remember  that  you're  a  Christian, 
and  I'm  a  sinner.  Don't  hold  this  against  me, 
Gunner." 

"Not  as  I  hope  to  be  forgiven  myself,"  groaned 
the  remorseful  Gunner. 

Sinful  ironed  him  and  stood  up.  Then  the  seven 
were  led  to  the  lazarette,  and  the  two  wounded  men 

184 


Sinful    Peck 

carried  there,  while  the  suffering  first  mate  went  to 
his  room  and  his  bed.  The  captain  entered  their 
offences  in  the  official  log  according  to  law,  and  Sin- 
ful, as  an  officer,  signed  his  name,  and  on  retailing 
the  events  of  the  morning  to  the  captain,  was 
highly  complimented  on  his  courage  and  marks- 
manship. 

But  the  second  mate  was  more  curious,  or,  per- 
haps, had  less  on  his  mind  than  a  captain  whose 
crew  is  reduced  to  one  -  half  at  sea.  He  mildly 
joked  Sinful  on  his  unwillingness  to  shoot  a  fellow- 
man. 

"  Where  did  you  get  the  pistols,  all  of  a  sudden?" 
he  asked. 

"  Had  them  on  me  all  the  time,"  answered  the 
little  man,  smiling  sweetly.  "  Had  them  for  just 
such  an  emergency." 

"  But  why  didn't  you  use  'em  when  they  ham- 
mered you?" 

"  If  I  had,  they  would  have  stopped  hammer- 
ing." 

"  But  why—" 

"If  they  had  stopped  hammering  me,  they  would 
not  have  gone  in  irons.  They  would  have  got  their 
pay  and  left  me  at  Shanghai.  I  would  be  lone- 

185 


Sinful    Peck 

some  without  them  on  this  long  voyage.  I  am 
making  this  voyage  for  my  health,  you  know,  and 
I  want  my  old-time  friends  around  me.  Yes,  they 
are  dogs  and  dock-rats,  and  all  kinds  of  evil  things, 
but  I  love  'em." 


XXII 

HPHE  lazarette  on  board  ship  is  the  space  within 
1  the  poop  or  quarter  deck,  and  is  usually  enter- 
ed by  a  small  hatch  on  the  starboard  side  abaft  the 
cabin  trunk,  which  latter  is  built  up  from  the  main- 
deck  and  extends  above  it  to  give  room  for  win- 
dows and  companion-ways.  The  alleys  at  each  side 
of  the  house,  and  the  open  part  abaft  containing 
the  wheel  and  binnacle,  are  paralleled  below,  and 
the  forward  ends  of  the  lazarette  alleys,  or  "  wings," 
can  be  entered  by  two  ports  under  the  poop-steps, 
closed  and  caulked  at  sea,  and  secured  from  within 
by  ring-bolts  and  bars.  In  the  median  lines  of  the 
alleys  arise  in  the  after  part,  abreast  of  the  wheel, 
the  quarter  bitts — strong  posts  for  mooring  the  ship 
—which  are  also  built  up  from  the  main-deck  and 
extend  above  it.  The  lazarette  is  a  handy  place  to 
stow  coils  of  rope,  spun-yarn  and  marline,  bolts  of 
canvas,  bales  of  oakum,  and  similar  stores  in  the 
mate's  department.  It  is  also  a  good  place  to  stow 

187 


Sinful    Peck 

unruly  sailors,  and  in  this  regard  has  but  one  draw- 
back— its  contiguity  to  the  cabin,  through  the  thin 
walls  of  which  may  filter  profanity  and  disrespect- 
ful opinions  of  the  captain  and  officers.  And  when 
there  are  as  many  as  thirteen  unruly  sailors  con- 
fined in  the  lazarette — thirteen  aggressive,  reckless, 
self-respecting  Americans  reduced  to  the  happiness 
of  desperation,  the  noise  they  can  make,  the  lan- 
guage they  can  use,  and  the  songs  they  can  sing  at 
unseemly  hours  of  night,  give  this  drawback  the 
importance  of  a  positive  menace  to  health.  Cap- 
tain Jackson  had  not  slept  for  forty-eight  hours  fol- 
lowing the  incarceration  of  the  mutineers,  and  his 
consequent  irritability  was  not  decreased  by  the 
cheerfulness  of  his  third  mate,  who,  sleeping  in  the 
port-forward  corner  of  the  cabin  with  the  first  mate, 
had,  with  selfish  sagacity  when  given  the  work, 
stretched  the  heavy  chain  to  which  the  prisoners 
were  manacled  along  the  starboard  alley  from  the 
quarter  bitt  to  the  ring-bolt  in  the  port.  To  this 
chain  he  had  moored  the  unruly  thirteen  when  con- 
quered and  docile;  but  now,  rested  and  mutually 
encouraged,  with  the  certainty  of  jail  in  Shanghai 
ahead  of  them,  and  nothing  to  be  lost  by  further 
violence,  they  assumed  an  attitude  which  made 

1 88 


Sinful    Peck 

their  shifting  over  to  the  other  side  a  task  at  which 
Captain  Jackson  hesitated.  It  had  been  found 
manifestly  impracticable  to  confine  by  the  hands 
so  many  men,  who  must  eat  and  drink;  so,  except- 
ing for  one,  leg-irons  had  been  substituted  for  wrist- 
irons,  and  their  arms  were  left  free.  These  arms 
were  powerful  levers  terminating  in  vises  or  ham- 
mers, according  to  their  owners'  intent. 

Of  the  fourteen  men  from  Cleveland  who  had 
sailed  from  New  York  in  that  ship's  forecastle, 
Sinful  Peck  alone  had  escaped  the  physical  up- 
building coming  of  fresh  air,  hard  work,  and  simple 
fare.  Stoop  shoulders  had  straightened,  knotty 
muscles  had  grown  on  frames  long  burdened  with 
fat,  obesity  was  gone  from  them,  sunken  eyes  had 
rilled  out  and  brightened,  many  wrinkles  had  left 
their  faces,  and  it  even  seemed  that  there  were  less 
gray  hairs  in  their  heads.  In  appearance  they  were 
twenty  years  younger,  and  in  behavior  thirty. 

But,  though  Sinful  Peck,  round  as  a  ball  at  the 
start,  had  lost  flesh  on  the  passage  out,  and  become 
as  slim  and  active  as  in  youth,  since  his  promotion 
at  Singapore  he  had  shown  surprising  recuperative 
power,  and  the  plentiful  fare  of  the  cabin  table  and 
the  lesser  demand  for  active  movement  had  in- 

189 


Sinful    Peck 

creased  his  girth  to  nearly  the  original  dimension. 
There  was  not  an  ounce  of  fat  on  the  bodies  of  the 
whole  thirteen.  Sinful  seemed  all  fat;  he  waddled 
as  he  walked,  and  when  standing  leaned  far  back  to 
bring  his  centre  of  gravity  over  his  feet.  Captain 
Jackson,  coming  out  from  breakfast  through  the 
forward  cabin  door,  looked  with  tired  eyes  at  the 
rotund  figure  of  his  third  mate  as  he  rolled  about 
among  the  men  drying  the  deck  amidships,  and 
called  to  him. 

"Mr.  Peck,"  he  said,  with  a  little  asperity,  "you 
are  getting  too  big.  You  eat  too  much  and  sleep 
too  well.  Better  trade  rooms  with  me;  then  I'll 
have  some  sleep  and  you'll  reduce  a  little.  What  '11 
you  do,  with  all  that  fat,  when  your  thirteen  friends 
catch  you  ashore?" 

"  They  won't  dare  lay  hands  on  me  at  home,  sir," 
answered  Sinful,  soberly.  "  I  stand  too  high  in 
Cleveland,  and  can  jail  them  all  under  the  habitual- 
criminal  law  if  they  make  a  move — all  but  Seldom 
Helward.  He  has  some  money." 

"The  one  you  made  your  bet  with?  But,  if 
they're  such  a  tough  lot  at  home,  how  was  it  that 
they  came  down  to  see  you  off — you,  a  lawyer  and 

a  physician  — an  educated  man?" 

* 
190 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Oh,"  answered  Sinful,  airily,  "  I  waived  all  that. 
We  were  sailors  and  shipmates  in  the  old  days,  and 
it  was  a  sort  of  reunion  arranged  by  Seldom.  He 
gathered  up  the  riff-raff  and  paid  their  way  to  New 
York  to  have  a  laugh  at  me." 

"  And  you  arranged  with  the  crimp  to  shanghai 
the  lot,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  smile.  "  Well,  it's 
rather  funny,  and  you  seem  to  have  engineered  me 
into  it,  too.  I'm  fairly  committed  to  jail  them  and 
take  them" to  sea  again.  I  can't  weaken  and  let  'em 
go  now." 

"Don't  think  of  it,  sir,"  answered  Sinful,  ear- 
nestly. "  They're  good  sailor-men  if  properly  kept 
down,  and  hard  to  replace." 

"  Did  you  search  them  well?  Sure  they  have  no 
files  or  implements  to  break  loose  with?" 

"  Sure,  sir.  There  isn't  a  toothpick  among  them, 
and  the  irons  are  of  hardened  steel,  too  hard  to  file. 
I  tested  that." 

"  How  are  the  cripples  getting  on?" 

"Fairly  well,  sir.  Gunner  Meagher  and  Moc- 
cassey  Gill  are  the  ones  I  shot,  you  know,  and  the 
bullets  passed  through.  Poopdeck  Cahill's  broken 
head  is  mending,  but  he  isn't  quite  sane  yet.  We 
have  him  fast  by  the  wrists  close  to  the  quarter 

191 


Sinful    Peck 

bitt,  and  the  other  two  moored  next  him  on  the 
chain,  where  I  can  'tend  them  without  getting  in 
reach  of  the  others." 

"  Look  out  for  that.  They  could  choke  you  to 
death.  Have  your  gun  handy  when  you  go  down, 
and  sing  out  if  they  make  any  breaks." 

"  I'm  not  afraid  of  them,  sir,"  said  Sinful,  smiling 
confidently;  "and,  capt'n,"  he  added,  "in  regard 
to  my  overweight,  why,  if  you  object  to  it  I  can  take 
it  down.  It's  all  a  matter  of  fasting.  I've  fasted 
two  weeks,  many  a  time,  and  can  do  it  again." 

"  No,  no;  not  at  all.     I  was  only  joking." 

"Thank  you,  sir.  Then  I'll  go  to  breakfast  as 
usual.  But  I'll  take  a  look  at  my  patients  first." 

The  two  climbed  the  poop-steps  and  walked  aft, 
the  captain,  his  dignity  forbidding  any  interest  in 
the  occupants  of  the  lazarette,  halting  at  the  bin- 
nacle, while  Sinful  passed  on  to  the  hatch  and  de- 
scended. Mr.  Becker,  the  first  mate,  joined  the 
captain  a  moment  later,  and  volunteered  some  re- 
marks on  the  state  of  the  weather  and  the  incom- 
pctency  of  the  non-mutinous  portion  of  the  crew, 
which  were  not  answered.  The  captain  was  listen- 
ing to  Sinful' s  cheery  voice  arising  from  below. 

"Well,  Gunner,  old  man,"  it  said,  "and  how's 
192 


Sinful    Peck 

the  arm?  Pretty  sore  yet?  You'll  be  all  right 
soon,  but  keep  away  from  bullets  and  bad  company. 
You've  worn  out  the  seat  o'  your  pants  —  back- 
sliding so  much.  And  Moccassey,  you're  all  right. 
You're  born  to  be  hanged — couldn't  kill  you  with 
an  axe.  Here,  Poopdeck,  that's  a  bad  position  to 
get  into  with  congested  brain — heels  up  in  the  air. 
Straighten  out,  man.  Want  more  slack?  Get  your 
feet  down  and  keep  your  head  up.  Here,  take  this 
oakum  for  a  pil — " 

The  rest  was  a  gasp  followed  by  a  shriek. 

13 


XXIII 

CAPTAIN  JACKSON  and  the  mate  sprang  to 
the  hatch  and  looked  down.  Sinful  was  not 
in  sight,  though  choked  expostulations  in  his  voice 
could  be  heard  faintly  from  the  darkness  forward  in 
the  alley.  Almost  directly  beneath,  flat  on  his  back 
with  his  manacled  wrists  uplifted  to  the  chain,  and 
his  knees  drawn  over  his  stomach,  was  the  dement- 
ed Poopdeck  Cahill,  his  countenance  twisting  with 
the  emotions  of  a  disordered  brain.  Next  to  him, 
sprawled  athwartships  and  fastened  to  the  chain  by 
the  ankles,  were  the  two  wounded  men ;  farther  on 
was  the  indefinite  figure  of  another;  beyond  this 
was  darkness,  and  from  far  along  in  this  darkness 
came  the  sound  of  Sinful' s  gasping  voice. 

"  Mr.  Peck,"  called  the  captain,  lowering  his  head 
beneath  the  combing,  "what's  happened?  Where 
are  you?" 

"He's  here,"  answered  a  determined  voice  from 
the  alley.  "  We've  got  him,  and  we've  got  his  gun. 

194 


Sinful    Peck 

I've  got  a  bead  on  your  head  " — the  captain  quickly 
raised  up.  "That's  right,  stay  up  there,"  went  on 
the  voice.  "  We  can  talk  just  as  well.  D'ye  want 
to  make  terms?" 

"What  terms?"  asked  the  captain,  after  a  mo- 
ment's anxious  thought.  "Who  is  the  man  that's 
talking?" 

"Me — Bigpig  Monahan,  damn  you." 

"And  I'm  talking,  too,"  came  another  harsh 
voice,  which  the  captain  knew  as  Seldom  Hel- 
ward's.  "We've  got  your  pet,  and  we'll  keep  him 
till  you  let  us  out  o'  this.  Pass  that  spun-yarn  this 
way,  Moccassey." 

Moccassey  Gill  wearily  raised  himself  and  pushed 
a  coil  of  spun-yarn  to  the  next  man ;  it  disappeared 
in  the  darkness. 

"Make  him  fast,  hand  and  foot,  Bigpig,"  said 
Seldom.  "And  now,  capt'n,"  he  called,  "here  he 
stays  till  you  unlock  us — hold  on,  wait.  Search 
him,  Bigpig.  Maybe  he  has  the  keys  in  his  pocket. 
He  locked  us." 

"  Search  all  you  like,"  came  Sinful's  angry  voice. 
"They're  in  my  room." 

"Are  you  hurt,  Mr.  Peck?"  called  the  captain. 
"  How  did  this  happen?" 


Sinful    Peck 

"  No,  sir.  Not  hurt  yet,  and  they  don't  dare  hurt 
me.  O-o-o-ow-ow." 

"What  are  you  doing  to  Mr.  Peck  down  there?" 
asked  the  captain,  sternly. 

"  Pinching  him,  capt'n,"  said  Bigpig.  "  He's  fat, 
and  good  to  pinch.  Go  get  the  keys,  and  I  won't 
pinch.  If  you  want  to  know  what  happened,  why, 
Poopdeck  kicked  him  over  three  of  us  and  the 
fourth  got  him.  Isn't  that  so,  Sinful,  my  son?" 

Another  howl  from  Sinful  told  of  more  pinching. 

"  No  keys  on  him,  Seldom,"  said  Bigpig.  "  He's 
told  the  truth  for  once." 

"Let  up  on  this,  curse  you  all,"  said  Sinful. 
"What  do  you  gain  by  torturing  me?  I  haven't 
got  the  keys." 

"  Perhaps  not,  Sinful;  but  you're  good  to  pinch. 
It's  a  real  pleasure.  Reach  over  here,  Tosser,  and 
take  a  bite.  Shiner,  can  you  get  at  his  leg?  Oh, 
he's  so  good!" 

Captain  Jackson  could  hear  a  scrambling  and 
shuffling  from  the  dark,  and  the  chain  visibly  taut- 
ened, indicating  that  more  than  those  named  were 
reaching  for  Sinful.  His  howls  of  agony  soon  at- 
tested their  success.  Men  that  pull  ropes  for  a  liv- 
ing may  pinch  hard. 

196 


Sinful    Peck 

Captain  Jackson  looked  his  first  mate  squarely 
in  the  eyes. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  this,  Mr.  Becker?"  he  said. 

"I  think,  sir,"  answered  the  mate,  a  vicious  ex- 
pression coming  to  his  hairy  face,  "  that  there's  but 
one  thing  to  do.  Get  Mr.  Brown,  and  the  three  of 
us  jump  down  together  with  shot-guns." 

"  One  of  us  would  be  shot  surely.  They  have 
Mr.  Peck's  pistol.  But  that  would  not  deter  me 
if  my  ship  were  in  danger  —  or  his  life.  But  they 
will  do  no  more  than  misuse  him.  Can  you  shoot 
men  in  irons?" 

"  If  need  be.  Why  not,  sir?  You  needn't  take 
a  hand.  I'll  do  it." 

"You  will  not,"  said  the  captain,  angrily.  "Go 
down  and  get  the  keys.  I  don't  know  what  to  do. 
I  want  to  think.  Get  Mr.  Brown  up  here." 

The  mate  departed,  returning  a  few  minutes  later 
with  the  news  that  the  keys  were  not  in  sight,  and 
followed  by  Mr.  Brown,  the  second  mate,  whose 
working  jaws  indicated  his  interrupted  breakfast. 
He  was  told  the  situation,  but,  like  the  captain,  did 
not  approve  of  Mr.  Becker's  suggestion. 

"Mr.  Peck,"  called  the  captain  down  the  hatch, 
"  where  did  you  leave  the  keys?" 

197 


Sinful    Peck 

"On  a  nail  over  my  desk,  sir,"  answered  Sinful. 
"  But  keep  'em  there,  capt'n.  Keep  these  brutes 
locked  up .  They  can' t  kill  me — they  don '  t  dare — 

"Change  your  tune,  my  son,"  came  Bigpig's 
voice,  and  Sinful' s  rose  in  a  scream  of  pain. 

"  Now,  little  man,  just  ask  your  dear  friend,  the 
capt'n,  to  get  the  keys  and  let  us  out.  Ask  him 
nice — say  please.  Say,  please,  capt'n,  go  get  the 
keys-." 

"  I'll  see  you  in  hell  first,"  stuttered  Sinful.  Then 
he  broke  forth  into  incoherent  profanity,  punctu- 
ated by  yells ;  this  subsided  into  a  quavering  moan 
at  last,  and  finally,  in  response  to  Bigpig's  repeated 
injunction  to  "  say  please,"  he  called  out,  brokenly: 
"Oh,  my  God!  capt'n,  I  can't  bear  it." 

"Say  please,  my  son,"  said  the  pitiless  Bigpig. 

"Please,  capt'n,"  groaned  the  conquered  Sinful. 
"Please  get  the  keys." 

Captain  Jackson  straightened  up,  with  kindling 
eyes,  and  said  to  his  first  and  second  mate:  "Go, 
both  of  you,  and  find  those  keys.  Ask  the  steward." 
Then,  down  the  hatch,  "  Men,  I  have  sent  for  the 
keys." 

"That's  right,  capt'n.  You'll  unlock  us  all,  and 
promise  to  give  us  our  discharge  at  Shanghai,  so  we 

198 


Sinful    Peck 

can  get  home  to  business.  Now,  while  you're  wait- 
ing, and  before  you  unlock  us,  just  listen.  Your 
pet  is  in  a  truthful  mood  to-day,  and  he  wants  to 
tell  you  something.  Sinful,  my  son,  you've  ad- 
mitted doping  us  all  at  a  wine  supper  in  New  York, 
and  shipping  us  aboard  with  you,  but  you've  neg- 
lected to  warn  Captain  Jackson  of  what  may  hap- 
pen to  him  at  home.  What's  my  business  in  Cleve- 
land?" 

"You're  a  dock-rat —    O-o-o-  God!    O-o-o-  my 
God!  my  God!" 

"What's  my  business  in  Cleveland?" 

"Don't,  in  the  name  of  Heaven!     Stop — yes — a 
steamer  capt'n." 

"Correct,  Sinful.     What  else?" 

"  Managing  owner." 

"What's  my  rating  at  Dun's?" 

"I  don't  know." 

"  You  knew  when  you  sued  me  for  fifty  thousand 
five  years  ago.     What  was  it  then?" 

"Half  a  million." 

"What's  Seldom's  occupation  at  home?" 

"I'm  not  his  biographer." 

"Yes,  you  are,  and  a  maker  of  history.     What's 
Seldom  at  home?" 

199 


Sinful    Peck 

"The  same  scoundrel  he  vis  here.  Oh,  don't, 
do-o-on't — yes,  he's  a  skipper,  too." 

"Got  as  much  money  as  I  have,  or  more?" 

"More." 

"What's  Gunner  Meagher,  the  man  you  shot 
down?" 

"A  minister  of  the  Gospel." 

"  More  shame  to  you.     What's  Poopdeck  Cahill  ?' ' 

"An  author." 

"Shiner  O'Toole,  Ghost  O'Brien,  and  Sorry 
Welch.  What  are  they?" 

"Liars  and  thieves." 

"You  mean  business  men,  don't  you,  Sinful?" 

"Yes,  business  men." 

"Got  money,  haven't  they?" 

"Yes,  other  people's  money.  Take  your  hands 
off  me  and  I'll  give  you  all  away." 

"Listening  up  there,  capt'n?"  called  Bigpig. 
"Taking  this  in?"" 

"  I'm  listening,"  answered  the  captain.  "  But 
what's  this  to  me?" 

"A  little,  if  you're  wise.  Sinful,  my  son,  tell 
the  skipper  what  the  firm  of  Welch,  O'Toole  & 
O'Brien  can  do  in  the  way  of  raising  ready  money. 
How  big  a  check  could  they  sign  on  a  pinch?" 

200 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Oh,  a  million,  I  suppose." 

"  Two  millions,  maybe.  Who  is  Yampaw  Galle- 
gher  when  he's  dressed  up?" 

"Colonel  in  the  army." 

"Influential  at  Washington?" 

"  I  suppose  so." 

"  Turkey  Twain.     What's  Turkey  at  his  best?" 

"A  discredited  politician." 

"Wrong,  Sinful.  He  was  our  mayor  for  two 
terms,  and  we'll  send  him  to  Congress  yet.  What 
are  General  Lannigan  and  Moccassey  Gill  on  the 
Lakes?" 

"Vessel  brokers  and  owners." 

"Own  a  big  fleet?" 

"  Yes,  big.    The  Irish  get  on  well  in  this  country. ' ' 

"Jump  Black.  What's  Jump,  besides  an  able 
seaman?" 

"  Newspaper  man." 

"  You  mean  managing  editor,  don't  you?" 

"  I  suppose  so." 

"  Don't  suppose.  Give  facts.  Managing  editor 
of  what?" 

"  The  Cleveland " 

"Big,  powerful  daily  paper,  eh?  What's  Moc- 
cassey Gill?" 

201 


Sinful    Peck 

"An  all-'round  sharper." 

"You  mean  a  syndicate  promoter,  don't  you?" 

"Yes." 

"  Tosser  Galvin.     Who's  he?" 

"Another  sharper." 

"  You  are  becoming  too  flippant  in  your  answers, 
Sinful."  The  howl  of  agony  again  began,  rose  to  a 
scream,  and  sank  to  a  moan.  "  Who  did  you  say 
Tosser  was  at  home?" 

"Oh,  Lord  God!  Monahan,  don't  kill  me  by 
inches.  Let  go." 

"Who's  Tosser,  and  what?" 

"  A  banker,  and  a  broker,  and  a  promoter,  too. 
Yes,  and  a  vessel  owner — and  a  tug  owner — " 

"  That's  enough.  Who's  his  best  friend  in  Cleve- 
land? Needn't  name  him — the  skipper  wouldn't 
know  him.  What's  his  political  position?" 

"Chairman  of  the  National  Republican  Com- 
mittee." 

"Strong  man  at  Washington,  eh,  Sinful?  Now, 
Capt'n  Jackson,"  called  Bigpig,  "if  you  still  think 
there  are  any  thugs  and  dock -rats  in  this  crowd, 
you  are  welcome  to  your  opinion ;  but  it  '11  cost  you 
something." 

"  I  have  no  opinion,"  answered  the  captain.  "  I 
202 


Sinful    Peck 

only  know  that  at  Singapore  you  signed  articles  as 
sailors,  that  I  have  punished  you  for  insubordina- 
tion, and  that,  in  holding  Mr.  Peck  under  restraint, 
you  are  still  insubordinate,  and  amenable  to  further 
punishment." 

"What  more  can  you  do?"  came  Seldom's  rasp- 
ing voice.  "  You've  reached  the  limit,  and  the  next 
thing  must  be  to  kill  us.  The  first  man  o'  you  to 
come  down  that  hatch  on  that  errand  '11  be  shot 
'fore  he  can  move.  We've  got  six  bullets  here." 

"  That's  right,"  yelled  others.  "  We'll  hang  for 
old  sheep.  You've  played  your  last  card,  skipper. 
No  more  thunder  left." 

"As  I  told  you,"  said  the  captain,  "  I  have  sent 
for  the  keys ;  but  you  are  not  yet  released.  Be  care- 
ful how  you  threaten." 

"Oh,  go  to  the  devil,"  said  Bigpig.  "We'd  as 
soon  stay  here ;  but  we'll  keep  this  little,  fat  shyster 
with  us  for  amusement." 

"That  is.  you'll  torture  him." 

"We'll  amuse  ourselves." 

Another  protesting  cry  in  Sinful' s  voice  came  up 
the  hatch. 

"Mr.  Peck,"  called  the  captain,  "how  are  you 
situated?  Can  you  stand  it  where  you  are?" 

203 


Sinful    Peck 

"  They've  tied  me  hand  and  foot,  capt'n,"  wailed 
Sinful,  "and  made  me  fast  to  the  ring-bolt  in  the 
port.  Four  o'  them  have  their  hooks  into  me 
now.  I  could  stand  it  if  they  will  let  me  alone, 
sir." 


XXIV 

CAPTAIN  JACKSON'S  face  was  troubled  as  he 
straightened  erect.  And  the  news  brought  by 
the  two  mates  and  the  steward,  who  now  appeared 
before  him,  did  nothing  to  clear  away  the  trouble. 
The  keys  could  not  be  found.  Another  call  to  Sin- 
ful brought  no  light  on  their  whereabouts.  He  had 
been  careful  to  hang  the  keys  in  a  safe  place,  he 
said,  in  view  of  this  very  exigency. 

The  captain  headed  another  search,  of  the  whole 
forward  part  of  the  cabin,  of  the  booby-hatch, 
boatswain's-locker,  and  the  deck  itself.  The  men 
forward  were  questioned,  but  none  had  seen  the 
keys,  and,  summoning  the  carpenter,  with  files  and 
steel  saws,  they  marched  aft  to  the  poop. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  explained  the  captain  to 
Mr.  Becker  on  the  way,  "  I  would  welcome  any  rea- 
sonable excuse  to  release  those  men  and  get  them 
to  work.  There's  weather  coming,  as  you  can  see — 
perhaps  a  typhoon.  And  what  can  we  do  with  half 

205 


Sinful    Peck 

the  crew  in  irons  and  the  other  half  incompetent? 
And  then,  too,  Mr.  Peck  once  saved  my  life,  and  I 
can't  condemn  him  to  such  punishment." 

Which  may,  or  may  not,  have  been  the  real  reason 
of  Captain  Jackson's  complaisance.  But  the  pedi- 
gree of  his  prisoners  given  by  Sinful  was  extremely 
improbable,  to  say  the  least. 

Chips  tried  a  few  strokes  of  file  and  saw  on  the 
leg-irons  of  Moccassey  Gill,  and  gave  up  the  task. 

"No  use,  sir.  They're  hardened  jus'  so  they 
can't  be  filed.  Wrist-irons  are  softer.  Will  I  file 
off  them,  sir?"  he  asked,  pointing  at  Poopdeck's 
manacles. 

But  Poopdeck's  distorted  face  and  incoherent 
language  made  this  inadvisable  at  present.  It 
would  not  avail.  Neither  would  it  avail  to  release 
both  ends  of  the  chain — even  though  the  forward 
end  had  not  been  secured  to  the  ring-bolt  by  a  hard- 
ened steel  ankle-iron — and  bring  them  on  deck  in  a 
string.  They  would  still  be  prisoners.  Yet  the 
captain  offered  them  this.  The  soft  iron  chain 
could  be  cut.  They  received  the  proposition  with 
yells  of  derision. 

"  But  the  keys  are  lost,  men,"  said  the  captain. 
"  I  am  willing  to  release  you  on  your  promise  of  good 

206 


Sinful    Peck 

behavior,  and  discharge  you  at  Shanghai ;  for  there 
is  a  storm  coming  up,  and  I'll  need  you.  Mr.  Peck 
may  be  able  to  find  the  keys.  Let  him  out,  and 
my  promise  is  good." 

They  were  utterly  unreasonable.  They  gave  him 
the  lie ;  he  was  up  to  some  trick ;  he  had  broken  his 
promise  before;  he  had  winked  at  Sinful' s  ill-treat- 
ment of  them,  which  had  resulted  in  their  mutiny 
and  incarceration ;  he  was  neither  man  nor  gentle- 
man; on  the  contrary,  he  was  several  other  evil 
things  that  cannot  be  named  here. 

And  over  the  hubbub  Sinful' s  shrieks  of  pain  arose 
high  and  shrill.  They  were  amusing  themselves. 

Neither  Mr.  Becker  nor  Mr.  Brown  had  heard  Sin- 
ful's  enforced  description  of  his  fellow- voyagers,  and 
the  little  man  had  not  saved  their  lives,  or  in  any 
other  way  put  them  under  obligations ;  so  they  nat- 
urally could  not  approve  of  the  captain's  hesitation 
and  leniency.  Mr.  Becker  again  suggested  the  shot- 
gun policy,  and  Mr.  Brown  advised  smoking  them 
into  subjection.  Both  propositions  were  impatient- 
ly overruled.  It  was  the  listening  steward  who 
solved  the  problem.  When  the  captain  had  de- 
spairingly turned  away  from  them,  he  asked,  gently : 

"Shall  I  feed  'em  the  same  grub,  sir?" 
207 


Sinful    Peck 

Captain  Jackson  sprang  to  the  hatch,  a  new  light 
in  his  eyes. 

"  Mr.  Peck!"  he  called.  "  How  long  did  you  say 
you  could  go  without  eating,  to  reduce  flesh?" 

"  Two  weeks,  sir,  and  longer  if  necessary." 

"Very  well.  Men,  you  will  get  neither  food  nor 
drink  until  you  release  the  third  mate,  and  I  re- 
tract my  promise  to  release  you  when  the  keys  are 
found,  and  to  discharge  you  at  Shanghai." 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  then  a  volley 
of  invective  belched  up  the  hatch,  of  such  voltage 
that  they  involuntarily  shrank  back  a  step  or  two. 
Then  it  calmed,  and  they  heard  Bigpig's  deep  voice 
grumbling  out  of  the  darkness :  "All  right ;  but  you'll 
hear  your  baby's  bugle  every  hour  you  starve  us, 
and  if  it  comes  to  it,  we'll  eat  him." 

"He  must  stand  it,"  said  the  captain,  determin- 
edly to  the  others.  "  We'll  make  the  Yangtse-Kiang 
in  less  than  two  weeks,  and  a  man-of-war  can  settle 
this  matter.  It's  better  than  shooting  men  in  irons. 
Now,  Mr.  Becker,"  he  added,  with  a  look  at  a  cloud- 
bank  gathering  in -the  west,  "begin  with  the  kites 
and  don't  stop  until  you  have  the  ship  under  storm 
canvas.  I  shall  turn  in.  Call  me  when  it  blows 
hard." 

208 


Sinful    Peck 

With  but  twelve  half-trained  men  the  shortening 
down  of  this  two- thousand-ton  ship  was  begun  none 
too  soon.  It  took  the  whole  day,  and  through  it  all 
the  captain  slept — soundly  because  of  his  utter  ex- 
•haustion,  and  in  Sinful's  bunk,  to  escape  the  pande- 
monium in  the  starboard  alley. 

But  it  was  his  last  sleep  in  bed  until,  nearly  three 
weeks  later,  a  Yangtse  -  Kiang  pilot  boarded  the 
ship  off  the  Saddle  Islands,  and  took  charge.  By 
good  seamanship  and  forethought,  even  with  his  re- 
duced crew,  he  had  weathered  the  gale — which,  be- 
fore it  ended,  blew  his  ship  nearly  to  the  coast  of 
Japan— but  early  in  the  first  night  he  lost  his  first 
and  second  mates.  There  had  been  urgent  need  of 
a  reef -earing  to  smother  and  lash  down  a  portion  of 
the  maintopmast  staysail  that  was  blowing  out  of 
the  netting,  and  the  unthinking  second  mate  had 
sprung  down  into  the  lazarette,  where  they  were 
kept.  He  did  not  come  up,  and  Mr.  Becker,  who 
had  seen  him  descend,  and  who  lacked  nothing  of 
physical  courage,  sang  out  to  the  captain  his  sus- 
picions, and  followed  Mr.  Brown  with  drawn  re- 
volver. Neither  did  he  come  up.  The  captain, 
who  had  not  understood  his  words  over  the  noise  of 
the  gale,  but  who  heard  a  pistol-shot  as  he  hastened 
T*  209 


Sinful    Peck 

aft,  listened  at  the  break  of  the  hatch  to  the  ex- 
planations roared  at  him  by  Tosser  Galvin,  next 
man  on  the  chain  to  the  wounded  Gunner  and 
Moccassey.  They  had  caught  the  second  mate  and 
disarmed  him.  They  were  then  prepared  for  further 
action,  and  on  the  appearance  of  the  first  mate  with 
his  gun  had  shot  him  in  the  leg,  secured  him  and 
his  pistol  as  he  fell,  and  lashed  him,  with  Mr.  Brown, 
to  the  chain  forward  next  to  Sinful.  They  would 
all  starve  together  until  Captain  Jackson  chose  to 
release  them.  And  he  was  cordially  invited  to 
come  down  the  hatch  and  join  them. 

Nothing  could  be  done  but  to  send  down  band- 
ages for  Mr.  Becker's  wound,  which  they  humanely 
passed  along. 

Every  fifth  day,  however,  Captain  Jackson 
yielded  to  the  extent  of  lowering  to  them  a  bucket 
of  water  and  a  biscuit  for  each  man,  hoping  that 
his  officers  would  get  their  share,  and  that  the  taste 
of  food  in  the  mouths  of  the  others  would  induce 
them  to  liberate  their  captives.  Neither  result  was 
attained.  They  ate  the  food,  drank  the  water, 
cursed  him  furiously,  and  demanded  the  keys, 
strangely  enough  denying  the  truth  of  the  asser- 
tion that  the  keys  were  lost,  and  believing  that  of 

2IO 


Sinful    Peck 

Sinful  that  he  had  left  them  in  his  room.  It  was 
only  when  an  armed  boat's  crew  from  an  American 
cruiser  at  Shanghai  had  sprung  into  the  lazarette 
that  their  judgment  was  shaken.  There  was  no 
further  excuse  for  resistance,  and  they  quietly  re- 
linquished their  three  weapons  to  the  jackies,  and 
permitted  them  to  cut  the  bonds  of  the  captives. 
Mr.  Becker  and  Mr.  Brown  were  lifted  up  the  hatch 
— living  skeletons,  subjects  for  hospital  treatment. 
Sinful  followed,  and,  though  slow  in  his  movements, 
with  less  need  of  assistance.  His  fat  was  gone,  his 
eyes  were  bright  and  full,  his  skin,  where  not  dis- 
figured by  a  black  or  blue  spot,  or  hidden  by  the 
dirt  of  the  deck,  was  pink,  smooth,  and  healthy.  It 
was  easily  inspected,  for  most  of  his  clothing  was 
torn  from  him.  He  sat  upon  the  deck,  smiling 
benignly,  and  tossed  a  bunch  of  keys  down  to  the 
ensign  in  charge  of  the  boat's  crew. 

"  They'll  unlock  the  rest,  sir,"  he  explained. 

Captain  Jackson  studied  him  in  speechless  won- 
der as  the  human  wrecks  were  assisted  up  the  hatch 
and  laid  out— harmless  now — on  the  deck. 

Fasting  had  been  good  for  Sinful,  for  the  two 
wounded  men,  and  for  the  crazed  Poopdeck,  in 
reducing  surplus  fat  on  the  first,  and  aiding  the 

211 


Sinful    Peck 

recovery  of  the  others ;  but  it  had  nearly  been  fatal 
to  Mr.  Becker,  Mr.  Brown,  and  the  rest,  who,  with 
no  reserve  store  to  draw  upon,  were  barely  alive. 

"  Peck,"  said  the  captain,  "in  the  name  of  God, 
what  manner  of  man  are  you,  anyway?" 

"Why,  I  fed  on  my  fat,  capt'n,"  he  answered, 
with  an  innocent  look  upward. 

' '  But  the  keys,  man .     Where  did  you  find  them  ? ' ' 

"  Capt'n,  if  I  had  told  you  where  the  keys  were, 
you'd  have  let  these  plug-uglies  out;  wouldn't  you, 
sir?" 

"Plug-uglies?     Then — are  they  not — 

"Rich  men?  Business  men?  Able  to  make 
trouble?  No,  sir.  They're  just  what  I  always 
told  you — rowdies  and  toughs.  Every  reply  in  my 
catechism  was  whispered  into  my  ear  while  they 
had  their  fingers  and  thumbs  buried  in  my  flesh. 
It  was  like  so  many  dogs,  biting  hard.  I  couldn't 
stand  it.  But — you'd  have  let  'em  out  if  you  had 
the  keys,  wouldn't  you,  capt'n?" 

"  Y-y-yes— think  I  would." 

"  I  knew  you  would — and  have  kept  your  prom- 
ise and  discharged  'em  here,  and  they  would 
have  had  the  laugh  on  you.  Now,  you  can  jail 
the  scoundrels." 

212 


Sinful    Peck 

"And  that's  just  what  I'll  do,"  answered  the 
captain,  bitterly,  as  he  looked  at  his  two  officers 
tearing  at  some  bread  which  the  steward  had 
brought.  "  But  the  keys?  Where  were  they?" 

"  In  my  pocket  when  I  went  down,  sir.  I  was  at 
fault;  so,  before  they  tied  me,  and  at  their  first 
mention  of  making  terms,  I  took  'em  quietly  out 
and  laid  them  on  the  deck,  close  to  the  cabin  trunk. 
They've  been  there  since,  and  I  picked  'em  up  on 
the  way  out." 


XXV 

IT  may  be  predicated  of  a  man  foolish  enough  to 
make  a  fool-bet,  hardy  enough  to  pay  it,  skilful 
enough  to  make  his  opponent  and  twelve  interest- 
ed friends  pay  it  with  him,  and  wicked  enough  to 
engineer  the  whole  party  into  mutinous  conduct 
and  consequent  incarceration  in  a  Chinese  jail, 
that  he  could  be  heartless  enough  to  gloat  over 
their  suffering.  And  Sinful  Peck  justified  such 
predication.  When  Captain  Jackson  returned  from 
the  trial  and  informed  the  small  third  mate  that 
the  consulate  jail  was  a  much  more  roomy  and 
comfortable  place  than  the  forecastle,  Sinful  lightly 
replied  that  it  was  not  in  accordance  with  the 
eternal  fitness  of  things  for  such  scoundrels  to  be 
comfortable,  and  formally  applied  for  the  address 
of  the  best  American  tailor  in  Shanghai,  money 
with  which  to  pay  for  clothing,  and  shore-leave 
on  which  to  wear  the  clothing  whenever  the  ship 
could  dispense  with  his  service  for  a  whole  day. 

214 


Sinful    Peck 

Captain  Jackson  obliged  him  with  all  three;  Sinful 
was  measured  on  board;  the  tailor  took  ashore 
with  him  instructions  for  the  procuring  of  all 
articles  of  apparel  outside  his  own  line  that  a  well- 
dressed  American  citizen  might  need;  and  when 
the  invalided  first  and  second  mates  were  able  to 
resume  work  the  goods  had  been  delivered.  He 
dressed  himself  after  breakfast  of  the  following 
day  and  stepped  out  on  deck.  They  hardly  rec- 
ognized him. 

His  small  figure  —  trim  and  symmetrical  after 
his  fast — was  clad  in  immaculate  creased  trousers, 
colored  waistcoat,  and  frock-coat  of  the  finest 
material  and  latest  cut  and  fit.  He  wore  a  stand- 
ing collar  and  puff  tie,  with  a  tasteful  pearl  pin. 
Small  gold  links  peeped  out  from  under  his  coat- 
sleeves;  suede  gloves  matching  his  tie  covered  his 
hands,  patent  leathers  his  feet,  a  shiny  silk  hat 
his  head ;  and  over  all  he  wore  the  raglan-cut  over- 
coat which,  on  far-away  Fifth  Avenue,  was  that 
winter  adorning  fashionable  clubdom,  while,  to 
complete  the  transformation,  he  balanced  in  one 
hand  a  horn-headed  cane,  and  gripped  between  his 
teeth  a  fat  perfecto,  which  he  puffed  gently,  as 
became  a  gentleman.  Captain  Jackson  was  so 

215 


Sinful    Peck 

impressed  that  he  personally  escorted  him  to  the 
gangway,  and  enjoined  upon  Ningpo  Sam,  the 
boatman  he  had  engaged  for  his  own  transportation 
back  and  forth,  to  take  him  ashore,  and  to  "stand 
by"  to  take  him  aboard  in  the  evening.  Sinful 
graciously  thanked  his  superior,  stepped  down  to 
the  sanpan,  and  Ningpo — a  giant,  for  a  Chinaman 
— sculled  him  to  the  nearest  landing.  Perhaps  in 
all  Ningpo' s  experience  he  had  not  seen  so  gorgeous- 
ly arrayed  a  Yankee  mate ;  for  he  had  looked  down 
on  him  with  keen  interest  while  working  his  crooked 
oar  on  its  spike  head,  and,  on  receiving  a  generous 
tip  at  the  wharf  steps,  asked,  with  Chinese  mild- 
ness, "What  manner  fashion  this?  No  cappen,  no 
mate,  no  sailol  man.  Own  ship?  Big  Melican  ship 
all  you?" 

"All  mine,"  responded  Sinful.  "You  are  right, 
my  long- tailed  friend.  I  own  the  ship  and  every 
man  aboard.  I  am  come  ashore  to  look  after 
some  of  my  property  landed  last  week.  Be  here 
ready  for  me  at  eleven  o'clock  to-night.  Un- 
derstand?" 

Ningpo  did,  and  the  property  owner  engaged  a 
rickshaw— a  light  but  strong  two-wheeled  vehicle 
with  a  Chinaman  for  a  horse — seated  in  which,  and 

216 


Sinful    Peck 

smoking  cigar  after  cigar,  he  put  in  most  of  the 
day  at  the  arduous  task  of  sight  -  seeing.  But, 
though  his  proud  and  confident  horse  crowded  all 
other  rickshaws  from  his  path,  and  was  allowed 
the  right  of  way  by  a  great  many  larger,  more 
pretentious  vehicles,  Sinful  displayed  no  interest  in 
the  stir  he  was  creating ;  his  heart  was  elsewhere, 
and  after  perfunctorily  viewing  the  sights  of  the 
American,  English,  and  French  quarters,  and  see- 
ing and  smelling  the  abominations  of  Chinatown — 
Shanghai  proper — he  drove  back  to  the  American 
consulate  and  asked  leave  to  visit  the  prisoners. 
So  suave,  polished,  and  prosperous  -  appearing  a 
gentleman  could  be  refused  nothing;  an  obliging 
official  furnished  him  a  permit,  and  the  information 
that,  as  the  consulate  jail  was  being  repaired,  the 
prisoners  were  now  confined  in  a  compound  near 
the  outskirts  of  the  American  Concession.  As  he 
was  tired  of  riding,  Sinful  dismissed  his  horse,  and, 
procuring  a  bunch  of  flowers  for  his  button-hole 
from  a  near-by  hot -house,  walked  to  the  com- 
pound, arriving  about  half  past -four,  when  the 
afternoon  was  beginning  to  darken. 

The  compound  was  a  square,  gateless  enclosure, 
with  walls  about  twelve  feet  high  and  fifty  from 

217 


Sinful    Peck 

corner  to  corner,  and  surrounding  on  its  far  side 
a  small  stone  house,  whose  door  was  the  only  en- 
trance to  the  interior.  Before  this  door  a  soldier 
in  the  uniform  of  the  American  legation  guard 
paced  up  and  down  with  shouldered  rifle,  which  he 
grounded  as  Sinful  approached  and  presented  his 
pass. 

"Certainly,  sir,"  said  the  soldier,  when  he  had 
examined  it.  "Come  right  in  and  go  through. 
They're  all  in  the  compound." 

"Are  they  ironed,  manacled,  lashed  down,  or 
otherwise  restricted  in  their  movements?"  asked 
Sinful. 

"Why,  no!"  answered  the  soldier,  in  surprise. 
"They  can't  climb  the  wall,  and  the  inner  door  is 
locked.  So  they're  loose — with  the  dogs." 

"Dogs?"  queried  Sinful. 

"This  is  the  dog-pound,  the  only  place  to  put 
them  while  the  jail  is  being  fixed.  Come  in." 

"  Not  at  all.  I  have  no  desire  to  play  Daniel  in 
the  lions'  den,  and  I  always  had  a  wholesome  fear 
of  dogs — two  legged,  or  four.  Can  you  get  me  a 
ladder?  I  only  wish  to  speak  with  them,  and 
the  top  of  the  wall  is  a  good  safe  place.  You  see, 
I  am  third  mate  of  their  ship." 

218 


Sinful    Peck 

"Oh  yes — I  guess.  Well,  there's  no  danger  of 
your  giving  them  guns,  or  tools,  I  suppose." 

"  Not  as  I  value  my  life.  I  want  the  top  of 
the  wall  for  the  same  reason;  but  I  might  want 
to  toss  them  a  cigar  or  two.  Have  one  your- 
self." 

The  soldier  took  the  proffered  perfecto,  called 
within,  and,  when  a  Chinaman  appeared,  said  to 
him:  "Cook,  get  the  step-ladder  and  put  it  up 
outside.  Savvy?  Outside  for  the  gentleman  to 
climb  up.  Savvy?" 

"  By-the-way,"  said  Sinful,  when  the  cook  had 
brought  out  the  steps,  "as  what  I  wish  to  say  is 
something  of  a  private,  personal  nature,  you  will 
not  object,  I  hope,  to  his  placing  the  ladder  down 
the  wall  a  short  distance,  out  of  ear-shot?" 

"Well — no,"  answered  the  man,  a  little  doubt- 
fully, however.  "Your  pass  permits  you  to  go 
among  them.  Talk  to  them  anywhere  you  like. 
I  can't  leave  the  door,  and  the  cook's  busy." 

So  the  ladder  was  placed  on  the  street  side  of 
the  compound,  and  as  the  next  house  stood  in  the 
middle  of  a  large,  hedge-bordered  lawn,  while  on 
the  other  side  was  an  extensive  paddy  field,  Sinful 
was  fairly  secure  against  embarrassing  listeners. 

219 


Sinful    Peck 

He  climbed  the  ladder,  stood  up  on  the  top  of  the 
wall,  and  looked  down. 

There  were  the  thirteen  men  he  had  shanghaied, 
some  hatless,  some  coatless,  all  emaciated,  gloomy, 
and  desperate  of  face,  and  all  pacing  up  and  down 
to  keep  warm.  Scattered  around  the  enclosure 
were  over  two  dozen  dogs  of  all  breeds  and  sizes, 
and,  at  sight  of  Sinful,  these  immediately  set  up  a 
furious  chorus  of  barking,  over  which  no  man's 
voice  could  be  heard,  until  it  was  subdued  to  an 
occasional  yap,  by  the  boots  of  the  biggest  men. 
Sinful  smiled  down  sweetly. 

"Quite  an  assembly,"  he  drawled;  "a  family 
gathering — a  reunion,  I  should  suppose.  But  who 
are  the  guests  and  who  are  the  hosts?" 

"  Oh,  you've  called  us  dogs  often  enough,  Sinful," 
answered  the  mild-spoken  Gunner,  "and  perhaps 
we  are,  from  your  present  stand-point ;  but  is  that 
a  reason  why  you  should  torment  us  with  the  sight 
of  tobacco  smoke?  Do  you  realize  that  we  have 
been  deprived  of  tobacco  for  nearly  a  month?" 

No  one  but  a  sailor  can  appreciate  the  pathos  in 
Gunner's  plaint;  but  Sinful  Peck  was  immune. 
Still  smiling,  he  took  from  an  inner  pocket  a  bunch 
of  cigars  and  counted  them.  There  were  eight. 

220 


Sinful    Peck 

He  put  them  back,  and  from  another  pocket  drew 
forth  six  more;  and  as  he  counted  these  they 
fidgeted  visibly  and  looked  up  hungrily. 

"Just  enough  to  go  around,"  he  said,  "and  one 
for  myself."  Then,  as  their  faces  brightened,  he 
pocketed  the  second  bunch,  and  added:  "But  it 
would  not  be  advisable,  I  think,  to  waste  good 
cigars  upon  men  accustomed  to  snipes." 

Unable  to  conceal  their  chagrin  and  humiliation 
they  turned  away,  and  a  few  dogs  received  hard 
kicks.  But  Sinful  called  to  them,  and  they  looked 
back. 

"You  fellows  seem  to  think,"  he  said,  sharply, 
"that  you're  badly  treated.  Do  you  know  what 
the  law  says  about  your  case?  Step  here  and 
listen,  you  evil-minded  lobsters."  They  stepped 
closer,  scowling  viciously.  Sinful  drew  a  pamphlet 
from  his  pocket. 

"Article  five,"  he  said,  "of  the  amendments  to 
section  forty-five  hundred  and  ninety-six  of  the 
Revised  Statutes,  has  this  to  say."  Then  he  read: 
"'For  continued  wilful  disobedience  to  lawful 
command  or  continued  wilful  neglect  of  duty  at 
sea,  by  being,  at  the  option  of  the  master,  placed  in 
irons,  on  bread  and  water,  with  full  rations  every 

221 


Sinful    Peck 

fifth  day,  until  such  disobedience  shall  cease,  and 
upon  arrival  in  port,  if  of  the  United  States,  by 
forfeiture  for  every  twenty-four  hours'  continuance 
of  such  disobedience  or  neglect,  of  either  a  sum 
of  not  more  than 'twelve  days'  pay  or  sufficient  to 
defray  any  expenses  which  have  been  properly  in- 
curred in  hiring  a  substitute,  or  upon  arrival  in  a 
foreign  port,  in  addition  to  the  above  penalty — ' 
listen,  now,  you  ingrates — '  by  imprisonment  for  not 
more  than  three  months,  at  the  discretion  of  the 
court.'" 

"  What's  that  got  to  do  with  us?"  growled  Bigpig 
Monahan.  "We'll  change  all  that  when  we  get 
back." 

"  But  as  you  haven't  changed  the  law  up  to  date 
you  are  amenable  to  it,  and  ought  to  be  thankful 
that  you  haven't  received  the  full  penalty.  Listen 
to  this:  'For  assaulting  any  master  or  mate,  in 
whatever  trade  engaged,  by  imprisonment  for  not 
more  than  two  years.' " 

"  Oh,  get  to  hell  out  o'  this,  you  and  your  law. 
What  'd  you  come  around  here  for,  anyhow — 
rigged  out  in  your  glad  rags?  Think  we  want 
to  see  you?" 

"  Only  to  inform  you  that  Captain  Jackson,  from 

222 


Sinful    Peck 

the  goodness  of  his  heart,  has  not  insisted  upon  the 
full  penalty  of  the  law,  but  is  willing  to  take  you 
home  with  him  when  the  ship  is  ready  for  sea." 

"Another  passage  in  that  hell -ship!"  snarled 
Seldom  Helward,  picking  up  a  beef -bone.  "Tell 
him  we  prefer  jail  —  and  get  down  off  that  wall 
or  I'll  knock  you  off."  He  drew  back  his  arm  to 
throw,  and  the  dogs,  at  the  sound  of  these  harsh 
tones  from  their  fellow  -  prisoners,  resumed  their 
noisy  protest  at  his  presence,  and  the  other  men 
joined  in  with  more  or  less  articulate  profanity. 
Over  the  hubbub  Sinful  smiled  serenely,  and 
placed  the  pamphlet  back  in  his  inner  pocket.  In 
doing  so  a  cigar  was  displaced,  which,  in  falling, 
went  inside  the  wall. 

There  was  a  rush  of  men  and  dogs,  and  a  dog 
got  the  treasure ;  but  he  immediately  spat  it  out, 
shook  his  head  and  rubbed  his  mouth  with  his 
paws,  then,  on  receiving  a  violent  kick,  retired 
howling,  while  two  men  broke  the  cigar  in  halves 
in  the  endeavor  to  secure  it.  Sinful  uttered  a 
joyous  whoop,  and  pulled  out  another;  then, 
whistling — as  men  whistle  to  call  dogs — he  tossed 
the  fragments  of  this  down  to  them  and  drew  forth 
more. 

223 


Sinfttl    Peck 

It  was  a  painful  spectacle;  but  sailors  deprived 
of  tobacco  have  lost  half  their  manhood,  and  will 
submit  to  extremes  to  secure  it.  Only  three — Big- 
pig,  Poopdeck,  and  Seldom— held  aloof  from  that 
mad  scramble  of  men  and  dogs,  and  when  the 
latter,  with  hatred  and  disgust  in  his  face,  let  fly 
the  beef-bone — which  missed — the  first  two  ob- 
jurgated the  scramblers. 

"Shame  upon  you,  boys!"  called  Poopdeck,  his 
fine  features  ablaze  with  scorn.  "  Have  you  no 
self-respect  left?  Are  you  willing  to  be  baited  like 
wild  beasts  in  a  cage,  while  that  little  devil  laughs 
at  you?" 

"Knock  him  off  the  wall,"  shouted  Bigpig,  pick- 
ing up  another  bone  and  hurling  it  upward.  The 
eager  men  wavered,  looked  sheepishly  at  the 
master  spirits,  then  up  at  the  little  man,  now 
dancing  hilariously  along  the  wall,  whistling  to 
them,  calling  out  canine  names,  and  tossing  down 
fragments  of  cigars.  And  when  he  finally  tossed 
them  the  stump  from  his  mouth,  the  sight  brought 
them  to  their  senses,  and  there  was  fully  as  eager  a 
scramble  for  beef-bones,  of  which  the  compound 
was  full. 

But  it  is  notorious  that  a  sailor  cannot  throw  a 
224 


Sinful    Peck 

stone  straight.  Not  a  missile  in  that  upward 
shower  hit  the  happy  little  man,  and  even  his  cane, 
which  had  slipped  from  his  hand  and  took  its  place 
in  the  bombardment,  flew  wide  of  its  mark.  They 
raked  and  scraped,  seeking  bones  in  all  the  corners, 
and  cleaned  up  the  yard,  but  Sinful  remained  in- 
tact and  jubilant.  Then  Seldom  Helward  pounced 
upon  the  last  bone  left,  the  property  of  a  vicious 
bull -terrier,  who,  through  the  whole  disturbance, 
had  been  growling  over  it  close  to  the  wall.  The 
dog  resented  the  spoliation,  snarled  savagely,  and 
nipped  Seldom  in  the  hand ;  whereupon  the  furious 
man,  first  hurling  the  bone,  grabbed  the  brute  by 
the  hind  legs,  and  swinging  him  around,  let  him  go. 
Now,  though  a  sailor  may  not  throw  a  stone  ac- 
curately, he  can  throw  a  heaving-line  with  fairly 
good  aim ;  he,  if  a  strong  man,  can  stretch  out  sixteen 
fathoms  of  wet  ratline  stuff  and  send  the  end  over 
the  shoulders  of  a  man  ready  to  catch  it;  and  the 
reason  is  that  he  uses  a  round-arm  throw  instead  of 
the  overhead  motion  of  ball  -  players.  That  mis- 
guided terrier  was  about  the  weight  of  a  wet  coil  of 
heaving-line,  and  he  went  straight  to  the  target. 
He  struck  Sinful  in  the  legs,  almost  upsetting  him, 
and,  gripping  the  immaculate  trousers  with  his 
is  225 


Sinful    Peck 

teeth,  held  on,  growling  angrily  and  endeavoring 
to  better  his  grip. 

"Hit  him  with  dogs,"  yelled  Bigpig;  and  he 
captured  a  cur  and  sent  him  flying.  "  Knock  him 
off  the  wall  with  dogs.  They'll  'tend  to  him  out- 
side." 

Immediately  there  was  another  scramble,  and 
dog  after  dog  was  run  down,  captured,  and  hurled 
at  the  tormentor  on  the  wall.  He  was  not  laughing 
now,  nor  was  he  whistling,  nor  was  he  very  happy ; 
he  was  vainly  pounding  the  bull-dog  with  his  fists 
and  trying  to  loosen  his  hold,  and  when  another 
brute  struck  him  in  the  chest,  knocking  him  to 
his  knees,  he  remained  in  that  position,  while  the 
second  dog — a  huge,  yellow  mongrel  of  unkind  dis- 
position—  secured  a  foot -hold,  and  yapped  and 
snapped  at  his  arms.  To  escape  this  assault  he 
arose  to  his  feet  and  kicked,  and  at  this  instant 
a  third  yelping  cur  hit  him,  and  with  but  one  foot 
on  the  wall,  he  went  over  easily,  floundered  in  a 
heap  on  the  ground  with  the  bull-dog  still  fast  to 
him,  and  the  third  dog  close  by  with  as  large  a  sense 
of  injury  as  that  possessed  by  the  other  two;  then, 
as  he  arose  unhurt  to  his  feet,  the  yellow  dog 
danced  down  the  ladder,  and  the  battle  was  re- 

226 


Sinful    Peck 

sumed,  to  the  accompaniment  of  jubilant  shouts 
from  within. 

Many  dogs  had  missed  in  their  upward  flight, 
and  such  of  these  as  were  not  yowling  in  pain 
were  eager  for  retaliation.  Sinful  became  the  cen- 
tre of  a  snarling,  barking  circle  of  brutes,  braver 
because  of  their  numbers,  and  eager  for  his  destruc- 
tion, who  gradually  forced  him  along  the  wall— 
towards  the  town.  The  cloth  soon  parted  in  the 
bull-- dog's  mouth,  and,  temporarily  free  of  this 
encumbrance,  he  kicked  and  cursed,  making  his 
way  slowly  along  the  wall,  and  looking  anxiously 
in  the  gathering  darkness  for  a  stick  or  stone. 
But  in  the  muddy,  alluvial  soil  of  Shanghai  there 
are  few  of  such  conveniences,  and  he  could  only 
fight  with  his  thin -soled  patent  leathers.  Once 
he  was  down,  rolling  in  the  mud  with  the  pack 
surging  above  him ;  but,  though  bitten  in  a  dozen 
spots  now,  he  found  strength  to  shake  them  off 
and  regain  his  feet.  He  threw  off  his  cumbersome 
overcoat  and  fought  on — the  better  for  its  loss. 
A  few  of  the  dogs  tore  it  to  shreds  and  then  re- 
sumed attentions  to  him.  They  soon  had  reduced 
his  Albert  frock  to  the  same  condition;  his  hat 
was  gone,  his  face,  hands,  and  linen  covered  with 

227 


Sinful    Peck 

mud  and  blood.  Slowly,  with  waning  strength  but 
undiminished  pluck,  he  fought  them  down  to  the 
hedge  fronting  the  lawn  of  the  next  estate — a  low 
hedge  from  which  the  lawn  rose  in  a  succession  of 
terraces  to  the  house.  And  now,  from  the  veranda 
of  this  house,  came  a  deep-toned,  roaring  bark, 
and  looking,  Sinful  beheld  a  monster  black  brute, 
larger  than  the  largest  of  great  danes,  bounding 
down  the  lawn. 

"My  God,  I'm  done  for  now!"  he  groaned,  and 
fought  on,  hopelessly.  But  as  the  roaring,  growl- 
ing animal  cleared  the  hedge  at  a  bound,  and 
braced  around  for  a  charge,  an  inspiration  came 
to  him. 

"Sic  'em,  old  boy — sic  'em,  Tiger,"  he  shouted, 
pointing  at  his  enemies.  "Go  for  'em,  good  old 
boy.  Go  for  'em." 

There  is  no  knowing  what  was  in  the  mind  of 
that  big  dog  —  whether,  accustomed  to  do  as  he 
was  bid,  and  understanding  English  in  his  Chinese 
environment,  he  merely  obeyed  orders ;  or  whether, 
like  many  large  dogs,  he  sympathized  with  the 
under  dog,  and  acted  on  his  sympathy.  Certain 
it  is  that  he  struck  that  snarling  herd  like  a  whirl- 
wind. He  killed  the  bull-dog  with  one  mighty  bite 

228 


Sinful    Peck 

of  his  powerful  jaws,  flung  another  twenty  feet, 
and,  as  he  made  for  a  third,  the  whole  pack  took  to 
flight.  Back  they  went  in  a  storm  of  mud,  yelp- 
ing in  fear,  pursued  by  the  big  black  hero — who 
brought  down  three  while  Sinful  could  see  them — 
and  scattered  for  safety  in  the  paddy  field  beyond 
the  jail. 

"Much  obliged,  old  man,"  called  Sinful,  bowing 
low,  with  a  ghastly  smile.  "  Much  obliged  to  you, 
but  I  won't  wait  here.  I'm  in  a  hurry.  Good-bye. 
Ever  so  much  obliged." 

Then  he  walked  on,  engaged  the  first  rickshaw 
he  met,  and  was  taken  to  the  wharf,  where  Ningpo 
Sam  had  great  difficulty  in  recognizing  him.  Only 
a  repetition  of  the  morning's  tip  satisfied  him  that 
the  bedraggled  wreck  before  him  was  the  wealthy 
owner  of  the  ship  that  he  had  sculled  ashore  early 
in  the  day. 

"Yes,  Ningpo,"  said  Sinful,  wearily,  as  he  seated 
himself  in  the  sanpan.  "  It's  me — only  me;  and  I 
found  my  property  in  very  good  condition  —  so 
very  good  that  I  hardly  think  it  will  need  more  of 
my  attention  while  here.  Scull  me  quietly  up  to 
the  port  mizzen  chains,  and  say  nothing  about 
my  appearance  to  the  captain,  and  I'll  give  you 

229 


Sinful    Peck 

a  dollar  every  Sunday  morning.     Is  that  a  bar- 
gain?" 

It  was.  Ningpo  was  faithful,  and  Sinful,  having 
reached  his  room  unobserved,  concealed  his  mishap. 
By  the  time  the  ship  was  ready  for  sea,  his  bites 
were  healed  and  he  was  nearly  as  fat  as  ever. 


XXVI 

THE  same  detail  from  the  American  war-ship 
that  had  escorted  the  mutineers  to  jail  brought 
them  aboard  when  the  ship  was  ready  for  sea,  and 
with  them  came  an  official  from  the  consulate — a 
deputy,  a  brisk,  middle-aged  gentleman  in  a  warm 
overcoat — Shanghai  is  cold  in  winter — who  imme- 
diately entered  the  cabin  with  Captain  Jackson, 
while  the  ensign  in  charge  of  the  detail,  after  lining 
his  men  around  the  prisoners  at  the  gangway, 
sought  the  society  of  the  three  mates  waiting  near 
the  mizzen  hatch. 

"Pretty  hard  lot  of  men,  I  hear,"  he  remarked 
to  Mr.  Becker. 

"  Rather,"  answered  the  first  mate,  scowling  tow- 
ards the  hard  lot.  "Worst  I  ever  seen.  This  is 
their  second  mutiny,  an'  there's  been  gun-play  and 
scrappin'  all  the  voyage." 

They  certainly  looked  a  hard  lot.  They  were 
in  rags — more  or  less  unclean — and  shivered  like 

231 


Sinful    Peck 

coolies  in  the  chill  December  air.  There  was  bit- 
terness and  discontent  in  their  grimy,  emaciated 
faces,  and  threatening  hatred  in  the  eyes  that 
scowled  back  at  the  mate. 

"Which  is  Sinful  Peck?"  asked  the  ensign,  as  he 
eyed  the  group. 

"  Guess  you  must  mean  Mr.  Peck,  here,"  answered 
the  mate,  with  a  grin,  nodding  towards  the  small, 
fat,  and  smiling  third  officer.  "  He  shipped  'fore  the 
mast  with  'em,  but  was  taken  aft." 

"I  really  beg  pardon,"  said  the  young  ensign. 
"  But  there  is  so  much  indefinite  gossip  ashore  con- 
cerning this  crew,  and — well,  the  name  Sinful  Peck 
stands  out  strongest." 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,  sir,"  said  Sinful.  "It's  a 
pet  name  they  gave  me;  but  they've  got  worse 
themselves.  See  that  big  porker  near  the  rail? 
He's  Bigpig  Monahan.  That's  Seldom  Helward 
next  him — the  one  with  the  grizzled  red  hair  and 
hook-nose." 

"  What's  the  significance  of  his  name?"  asked  the 
ensign,  with  a  smile. 

"  Pure  satire.  All  their  names  fit  them.  See  that 
miscreant  with  his  collar  turned  up?  That's  Moc- 
cassey  Gill.  He's  an  Indian,  all  right,  but  he  got 

232 


Sinful    Peck 

his  name  from  a  pair  o'  moccasins  he  made  one 
hard,  cold  winter  when  he  had  no  shoes." 

"  You  seem  to  know  their  antecedents." 

"  Went  to  school  with  most  of  them,  sir.  When 
very  young  they  were  respectable.  See  that  bull- 
necked  hoodlum  by  the  gangway  steps?  He's  Tos- 
ser  Galvin — not  because  he  ever  tossed  a  man — 
because  of  his  facility  at  tossing  in  whiskey.  And 
Poopdeck  Cahill,  that  fellow  next  him — Poopdeck 
shipped  boy  in  a  schooner  when  just  out  of  school, 
and  quit  her  after  a  trip.  Didn't  like  her,  he  said — 
wasn't  handy — had  no  poopdeck.  He's  dangerous ; 
he  nearly  killed  me  on  the  way  here." 

"  What  was  the  cause  of  the  mutiny?"  asked  the 
ensign. 

"  Pure  cussedness,"  answered  Mr.  Becker.  "  They 
couldn't  keep  their  hands  off  Mr.  Peck,  and  we  put 
the  whole  thirteen  in  leg-irons  below  decks.  But 
that  wasn't  what  jailed  'em.  The  skipper'd  ha'  let 
'em  out  and  paid  'em  off  here,  only  they  captured 
and  disarmed  the  three  of  us,  one  after  another — 
hands  were  free,  you  see — and  wouldn't  let  us  go. 
Well,  the  skipper  was  squeamish  'bout  shootin'  men 
in  irons,  so  all  he  could  do  was  to  starve  'em — and 
us,  too" — Mr.  Becker's  face  took  on  a  grieved  ex- 

233 


Sinful    Peck 

pression — "  and  after  two  weeks  of  it  they  hadn't 
strength  to  untie  us  if  they  wanted  to ;  but  the  skip- 
per thought  they  could  still  pull  a  trigger — had  our 
guns,  you  know — and  it  kept  him  on  deck.  Oh, 
they'd  shoot;  they  shot  me  in  the  leg  'fore  they  got 
me."  Mr.  Becker  looked  down  at,  and  felt  of,  a 
small  hole  in  his  trousers. 

"They  can't  be  ordinary  sailor-men,"  said  the 
ensign,  studying  the  sullen  faces  of  the  mutineers. 
"  Did  they  infect  the  rest  of  the  crew?" 

"They're  not  ordinary  men;  they're  the  worst 
that  ever  happened.  I  wish  we  were  rid  of  'em. 
Infect  the  rest  ?  No — the  rest  haven't  sand  enough 
to  run,  let  alone  fight." 

"These  are  good  American  citizens,"  said  the 
second  mate,  derisively,  speaking  for  the  first  time ; 
"  wealthy  business  men  from  Cleveland,  who  respect 
the  law — townsmen  of  Mr.  Peck." 

"Dock -rats  and  hoodlums,"  responded  Sinful. 
"  I've  known  them  forty  years." 

The  appearance  of  the  captain  and  deputy-consul 
interrupted  the  talk.  The  latter  held  two  large 
sheets  of  paper  in  his  hand,  and  said  to  the  ensign : 
"  Mr.  Belknap,  will  you  bring  those  men  here?" 

The  ensign  marshalled  his  charges  aft  to  the 
234 


Sinful    Peck 

hatch,  where  the  deputy  faced  them  with  the  pa- 
pers unfolded  in  his  hands. 

".Men,"  he  said,  briskly,  "  I  am  directed  by  the 
consul-general  to  investigate  this  petition  sent  by 
you  from  the  jail,  in  which  you  complain  of  cruel 
and  unusual  punishment  on  board  this  ship.  It 
seems  to  be  in  the  handwriting  of  the  one  who 
signs  the  name  Captain  John  Monahan,  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  Who  is  this  Captain  Monahan?" 

"  Me,"  growled  the  big  man.  "  I'm  Captain  Mon- 
ahan on  the  Lakes — Bigpig  Monahan  aboard  this 
hell-ship.  Is  this  the  way  you  investigate? — after 
the  ship's  ready  for  sea  and  we're  hauled  aboard 
under  guard,  like  so  many  convicts?" 

"You  have  been  properly  investigated.  You 
may  be  captains  at  home — " 

"We're  not — except  for  three  of  us;  but  we've 
money  and  pull  enough  to  make  some  one  walk 
the  floor  over  this  business.  Did  you  cable  to  the 
mayor  of  Cleveland  for  our  records,  as  we  re- 
quested?" 

"  We  did  not.  The  government's  money  is  not 
to  be  wasted  on  such  trumped-up  bombast." 

"  What  d'ye  suppose  the  consular  service  is  kept 
up  for,  then — to  keep  you  fellows  in  fat  jobs?  I 

235 


Sinful    Peck 

tell  you"  —  Bigpig  advanced  a  step,  his  lips  parted 
angrily,  his  hand  raised  warningly — "  you  and  your 
superiors  will  have  cause  to  regret  your  neglect  of 
our  case." 

"Don't  threaten,"  answered  the  deputy,  step- 
ping back  a  pace,  however.  "  Whatever  grievance 
you  may  have  against  Captain  Jackson,  for,  as  you 
say  here  " —he  glanced  at  the  petition — "taking 
you  forcibly  to  sea  from  New  York,  is  nullified  by 
the  fact  that  you  signed  articles  at  Singapore  for 
the  passage  home,  stopping  at  intermediate  ports. 
You  are  sailors  before  the  mast." 

"We're  not  putting  that  issue  to  the  front. 
What  we  insist  upon  is  that  it  '11  pay  you  and 
your  boss  to  consider  our  standing  at  home.  Sin- 
ful" —  the  big  man's  voice  sounded  husky  and 
broken  —  "aren't  you  satisfied  with  your  work? 
We  want  to  get  home.  You  know  there's  money 
in  this  crowd.  Tell  the  truth." 

Sinful' s  face  became  grave,  and  he  raised  his  hand 
dramatically. 

"  Bigpig,  I  will  speak  the  truth,"  he  said,  and  he 
turned  to  the  deputy.  "  I  also  am  from  Cleveland, 
sir,  and,  in  my  professional  capacity,  have  known 
these  men  for  years.  I  can  confidently  assure  you, 

236 


Sinful    Peck 

sir,  that,  at  home  among  customary  surroundings, 
there  is  not  a  man  of  them  who  could  not  at  any 
time  stick  his  hand  in  any  pocket  he's  got  and— 
scratch  himself." 

"You  infernal  liar,"  said  he  of  the  hooked  nose 
and  grizzled  red  hair.  "And  I  bet  ten  thousand 
with  you  on  McKinley." 

"  No,  it  was  a  fool  bet,  Seldom,"  said  Sinful, 
calmly,  "  and  I  am  paying  it  by  making  this  voy- 
age. The  chief  of  police  has  their  records,  sir,"  he 
added  to  the  deputy,  "not  the  mayor  of  Cleve- 
land." 

They  all  turned  their  eyes  upon  him;  their  feet 
shuffled  nervously,  and  their  fingers  twitched,  as 
though  they  longed  to  reach  for  him.  But  none 
moved ;  the  presence  of  armed  man-of-war's-men  is 
restraining. 

"This  is  something  over  which  the  consular  ser- 
vice has  no  jurisdiction,"  said  the  deputy,  folding 
the  papers  and  handing  the  articles  to  the  captain. 
"You  wish  to  see  this  petition?"  he  asked  of  the 
ensign,  who  had  indicated  such  a  wish  by  extend- 
ing his  hand.  "  Here,  read  it."  The  ensign  took  it. 

"  Now,  men,"  went  on  the  deputy,  "you  have  been 
properly  punished  for  your  mutinous  conduct,  and 

237 


Sinful    Peck 

should  feel  thankful  that  you  are  under  a  kind  and 
merciful  captain,  who,  instead  of  demanding  the 
full  enforcement  of  the  penalty  prescribed  for  your 
offence,  has  consented  to  take  you  to  an  American 
port.  Remember  that  you  are  under  the  stars  and 
stripes,  the  flag  of  the  free,  homeward  bound  to  a 
land  whose  laws  deny  justice  to  no  man,  no  matter 
how  humble— 

"Rats,"  interrupted  Seldom  Helward,  explosive- 
ly, his  scowl  deeper  than  usual. 

"  Well,"  said  the  deputy,  in  some  confusion,  "  I'm 
through.  You  know  your  position." 

"  Rats,  I  say,"  continued  Seldom.  "  You  learned 
that  at  school.  We'll  make  no  appeal  to  the  laws 
of  a  country  which  sanctions  slavery  at  sea  and 
denies  to  a  seaman  the  right  of  self-defence.  But 
it's  the  land  o'  the  dollar,  and  there  '11  be  an  agita- 
tion at  Washington  that  will  make  more  than  one 
hunt  for  tall  grass.  Now/  Captain  Jackson,"  he 
said,  turning  to  the  quiescent  skipper,  "we're  re- 
sponsible American  citizens,  shanghaied  in  your 
ship  by  your  third  mate,  and  you  know  it.  You've 
denied  our  statements,  enslaved  us,  shot  at  us, 
ironed  us,  starved  us,  and  jailed  us — all  under  cover 
of  the  law.  And  through  it  all  you've  encouraged 

238 


Sinful    Peck 

your  mates  to  devil  us  into  resistance  that  you  call 
mutiny.  It  won't  be  the  law  you'll  deal  with  at 
home :  it  '11  be  the  men  who  make  the  law.  Do  you 
care  to  discharge  us  now,  so  we  can  go  home  by 
steamer,  and  so  save  trouble  for  yourself  and  loss 
to  your  owners?" 


XXVII 

THE  captain's  gray  eyes  grew  serious  and  he  did 
not  answer  at  once ;  the  first  and  second  mate 
looked  interested,  as  though  they  might  have  wel- 
comed such  a  solution  to  the  problem.  But  Sin- 
ful Peck,  with  a  face  perceptibly  lengthened,  drew 
near  the  wavering  captain,  offering  silent  admoni- 
tion to  be  true  to  himself  and  his  dignity. 

"  If  I  should  do  so,"  said  the  captain,  at  last,  "  I 
should  not  be  influenced  by  your  threats.  I  neither 
believe  nor  disbelieve  your  statements.  Your  stand- 
ing at  home  cannot  conflict  with  your  present  posi- 
tion— that  of  sailors  before  the  mast,  who  signed  my 
articles  at  Singapore.  You  are  powerless  to  make 
trouble  for  me  at  home.  But  I  do  believe  that  you 
were  shanghaied  out  of  New  York  as  a  practical 
joke,  and  would  let  this  influence  me,  as  well  as  the 
fact  that  in  all  your  troublesome  resentment  of 
necessary  discipline  you  have  only  acted  as  un- 
trained human  beings  will  always  act  under  fancied 

240 


Sinful    Peck 

injury.  Also  do  I  remember  that  I  have  always 
conquered  you,  and  have  not  failed  to  punish  you 
as  you  deserve." 

"Hurrah  for  you,  capt'n!"  shouted  Bigpig,  with 
a  smile  of  amnesty  on  his  rugged  face.  "  We'll  call 
it  all  off."  Then  others  joined  in :  "  Must  be  plenty 
o'  men  ashore.  We  want  to  get  home.  Keep  Sin- 
ful with  you;  we  don't  want  him — we  can  fix  him 
up  later." 

"  Will  you  sign  a  quit-claim  for  damages  against 
my  owners,  and  promise  never  to  sign  in  my  ship 
again?  Frankly,  I  am  sick  of  you.  If  you  can 
quit  my  ship  without  another  fight,  you  can  go." 
The  captain  finished  with  a  smile. 

' '  Yes,  yes, ' '  they  shouted .  "Of  course — we  want 
to  get  home."  The  last  came  from  several  of  them. 

"You'll  have  trouble  getting  men,  captain,"  re- 
marked the  deputy,  significantly. 

"  And  they're  a  mighty  good  crew  now,  captain," 
volunteered  Sinful ;  "  we'll  only  have  to  break  in  a 
new  bunch." 

The  captain  looked  from  one  to  the  other,  with  a 

little  of  uncertainty  showing  in  his  face.     "And  if 

you  discharge  them,  sir,"  continued  Sinful,  "they'll 

consider  it  weakness  and  follow  you  up.     Plenty  of 

16  241 


Sinful    Peck 

cheap  shysters  would  take  up  their  case,  just  to 
force  a  compromise." 

"No,"  said  the  captain,  firmly.  "If  they  are 
dock-rats  and  hoboes  they  can't  trouble  me ;  if  they 
are  responsible  men  they  will  keep  their  word." 

"We're  responsible  enough,  captain,"  they  cho- 
rused. "  We'll  stand  by  what  we  agreed.  We 
waive  all  claims.  Call  off  your  dogs  and  let  us 
get  ashore." 

"I  think,  captain,"  said  Mr.  Belknap,  lifting  his 
eyes  from  the  petition,  "that  their  story  may  be 
true — that  they  may  be  responsible  men.  I  see  two 
names  here  in  brackets,  and  written  against  them  a 
firm  name  which  I  recognize — Galvin  &  Company. 
I  have  visited  Cleveland." 

"  Have  you,  sir?"  asked  Bigpig,  joyously.  "  You 
may  know  some  of  us.  Step  out  here,  Tosser,  and 
be  identified."  Tosser  Galvin  emerged  from  the 
group. 

"  I'm  John  Galvin,  sir,"  he  said.  "  My  office  is  in 
the  Perry- Payne  Building.  Know  me,  sir?" 

"No,  I  cannot  know  you.  I  merely  visited 
Cleveland  five  years  ago.  But,  perhaps — well — 
perhaps  you  would  not  mind — under  the  circum- 
stances. If  you  are  John  Galvin  of  this  firm,  you 

242 


Sinful    Peck 

were  to  have  been  married  about  twenty  years  ago, 
were  you  not?" 

Tosser's  face  fell.  "Yes — I  was — almost.  Were 
you  there,  sir?" 

"  I  heard  of  the  wedding  from  the  people  I  visited. 
Did — did  anything — 

"No,"  said  Tosser,  brazenly,  "nothing  happened 
— except  the  wedding  supper.  She  got  cold  feet, 
and  skipped  out  the  side  door  as  the  parson  came 
in  the  front." 

"  I  am  satisfied,"  said  the  ensign,  turning  to  the 
captain,  "that  this  man  is  an  influential  citizen  of 
Cleveland.  The  lady  was  my  aunt,  and  the  matter 
was  hushed  up." 

"  Now,  I  beg  of  you,  sir,"  said  Sinful,  coming  for- 
ward with  a  deprecating  shake  of  his  head,  "not 
to  be  taken  in  so  easily.  John  Galvin  is  my  best 
friend,  and  I  was  at  that  unfortunate  contretemps. 
This  man  was  there,  too,  but  as  a  poor  relation  of 
Galvin's ;  his  job  was  to  open  the  door.  He  cleaned 
the  mud  from  my  shoes  and  I  tipped  him  a  dollar. 
He  made  a  pile  that  night  and  was  drunk  for  a 
week." 

"  You  damned  liar!"  yelled  Tosser.  "  You  tipped 
me?  I  cleaned  your  shoes?"  In  an  instant  he  had 

243 


Sinful    Peck 

Sinful  by  the  throat,  and  the  two  rolled  on  the  deck 
together. 

All  might  still  have  been  well — the  friction  con- 
fined to  these  two — for  the  state  of  mind  induced 
by  mutual  concession  tends  to  leniency  and  trust ; 
but  there  was  one  man  there  immune  to  such  in- 
fluences— whose  mind  could  only  grasp  the  fact  that 
an  officer  was  assaulted  by  a  sailor.  With  his  ready 
brass-knuckles  clinched  on  his  fingers,  Mr.  Becker 
sprang  towards  the  combatants  just  in  time  to  col- 
lide with  another  peacemaker — Bigpig  Monahan— 
who,  with  more  amicable  intent,  and  cautionary 
words  to  Tosser  on  his  lips,  sprang  from  the  oppo- 
site direction.  Mr.  Becker's  bull -terrier  instincts 
responded  to  the  collision ;  he  struck  Bigpig  in  the 
face ;  then,  with  a  furious  imprecation,  the  big  sail- 
or struck  back,  and  another  battle  was  on.  Others 
surrounded  the  struggling  pair  on  the  deck,  bent 
only  upon  separating  them ;  the  deputy  sped  up 
the  poop-steps;  the  captain  drew  his  revolver,  but 
for  some  reason — perhaps  the  presence  of  a  navy 
and  a  consular  officer — put  it  away,  and  armed 
himself  with  a  belaying-pin  from  the  rail.  The  en- 
sign waved  back  his  men,  who  had  drawn  the  heavy 
navy  revolvers  with  which  they  were  armed,  and 

244 


Sinful    Peck 

Mr.  Brown,  seeing  that  his  superior  officer  was  doing 
well,  and,  perhaps  with  a  better  understanding  than 
Mr.  Becker  of  the  delicacy  of  the  situation,  merely 
gloved  himself  similarly  and  waited.  Even  now 
the  trouble  might  have  spent  itself,  but  the  sight  of 
Mr.  Becker's  well-doing  was  too  much  for  Seldom 
Helward.  Bigpig's  face  and  fists  were  bleeding 
from  contact  with  the  brass-knuckles,  and  he  was 
being  forced  backward.  Seldom  joined  the  fray 
and  knocked  the  mate  to  the  deck ;  then  he  received 
in  his  face  Mr.  Brown's  brass-shod  fist,  and  he,  too, 
went  down,  bleeding.  Some  of  the  peacemakers 
surrounding  Tosser  and  Sinful  saw  this,  and,  being 
sufficiently  warmed  up  and  reckless  by  this  time, 
they  pounced  upon  the  cautious  second  mate,  and 
the  incautious  and  unconquered  first  mate  as  he 
rose  to  his  feet,  and  mobbed  them.  Then  the  cap- 
tain's belaying-pin  began  operations,  crashing  down 
indiscriminately  on  heads  and  arms ;  the  victims,  if 
able,  secured  similar  clubs,  and  the  fight  became 
general.  And,  over  the  sound  of  oaths  and  shouts, 
rang  the  ensign's  orders  to  his  men :  "  Don't  shoot — 
don't  injure  a  man.  Overpower  them,  and  stop  it." 
There  were  ten  heavily  built,  muscular,  and  active 
navy  sailors  in  that  detail,  and  they  were  trained  to 

245 


Sinful    Peck 

fight  with  fists  as  well  as  with  weapons.  Man  after 
man  went  down  under  their  blows  —  and  to  the 
credit  of  their  seamanly  sympathy  be  it  said  that 
two  were  Mr.  Becker  and  Mr.  Brown — until  the  last 
responsible  citizen  of  Cleveland  was  put  out  of  com- 
mission. 

Then  they  stood  up — or  sat  up,  as  they  could— 
and  looked  around  ruefully.  All  were  more  or  less 
disfigured;  a  great  many  were  bleeding  from  cuts 
in  their  heads  and  faces ;  Sinful  Peck,  nearly  black 
in  the  face,  was  breathing  heavily;  the  other  two 
mates  could  barely  see  through  their  puffed  and 
blackened  eyelids,  while  the  captain  was  feeling  of 
loosened  front  teeth  and  spitting  blood  upon  the 
deck.  It  was  no  time  for  frivolous  comment,  but 
the  uninjured  though  pale  -  faced  deputy  above 
must  speak. 

"  By  George !  Captain  Jackson,"  he  said,  "  I'd  pay 
that  crowd  off,  if  I  were  you — discharge  them  with- 
out characters." 

"Pay  them  off!"  sputtered  the  captain.  "Not 
by  a  damned  sight.  I'll  land  'em  at  'Frisco  in  irons, 
by  Gawd!  Mr.  Becker,  get  that  mooring  chain 
down  to  the  'tween  decks  this  time,  and  stretch  it 
fore  and  aft  on  the  midship  stanchions.  Iron  every 

246 


Sinful    Peck 

damned  one  o'  them  by  the  legs,  where  we  can 
watch  them.  Damn  a  damn  fool,  anyhow,  that  '11 
trust  to  a  sailor's  promise." 

Expostulations  began,  but  soon  subsided,  and  in 
twenty  minutes  they  were  confined  as  the  captain 
directed — nearly  beneath  the  mizzen  hatch,  yet  far 
enough  from  the  notched  stanchion  used  for  de- 
scent to  give  a  visitor  to  the  'tween  deck  immunity 
from  capture.  And,  as  a  further  precaution,  when 
the  last  man  was  ironed,  the  keys  went  somewhat 
ostentatiously  into  the  pocket  of  the  captain,  of  all 
on  board  the  man  least  likely  to  visit  them. 

But  it  was  Sinful  Peck  who  had  snapped  the  irons 
on  the  ankles  of  the  turbulent  thirteen ;  and  this  he 
did  with  a  very  earnest,  serious  expression  of  face, 
impressed  either  with  the  painfulness  of  the  duty 
or  the  possible  danger  of  his  proximity  to  those  long 
arms  and  powerful  fingers — more  probably  the  lat- 
ter; for  when  the  other  victors  had  climbed  to  the 
deck  above  he  lingered  behind  and  smiled  at  the 
line  of  scowling  faces,  sweetly,  benignly,  and  tri- 
umphantly. A  few  cursed  him,  but  he  answered 
not,  and,  still  smiling,  ascended  the  stanchion. 

As  he  approached  the  gangway  his  superiors  were 
bidding  good-bye  to  the  deputy-consul  and  the  en- 

247 


Sinful    Peck 

sign,  and  thanking  the  latter  for  his  assistance — 
which  assistance  the  young  officer  was  deprecating. 

"  I  feel  my  position,"  he  said,  embarrassedly.  "  I 
was  bound  to  deliver  them  to  you,  but  have  med- 
dled too  much.  Now  that  you  have  them  in  irons, 
of  course  it  is  wisest  to  keep  them  there ;  but,  seri- 
ously, captain,  I  think  you  are  over  -  harsh  with 
them.  They  may  be  what  they  say." 

"Not  at  all,  Mr.  Belknap,"  said  the  deputy. 
"  They  are  mutineers,  pirates,  murderers.  I  was  a 
witness,  captain,  and  I  am  going  home  by  the  next 
steamer.  I  will  probably  be  in  San  'Frisco  when 
you  arrive,  and  will  gladly  testify.  Keep  them  in 
irons,  by  all  means,  captain." 

"I  certainly  shall,"  said  the  captain.  "They 
have  made  it  an  object  with  me  —  a  matter  of 
pride"  -he  felt  of  his  loosened  teeth  —  "I  shall 
hand  them  over  to  the  harbor  police  at  'Frisco." 
And,  though  the  condition  of  his  teeth  made  it 
painful,  he  joined  Sinful  in  his  smile. 

Then  he  bowed  them  over  the  side,  and  two  hours 
later,  when  his  remnant  of  a  crew  had  cleared  a 
troublesome  "foul  hawse,"  he  tripped  his  anchors, 
and,  with  a  Shanghai  tug  at  the  end  of  his  line,  be- 
gan the  long  tow  down  the  river. 

248 


XXVIII 

WHEN  a  man  of  his  word  promises  to  carry 
more  than  half  his  crew  across  the  Pacific 
in  irons  he  is  apt  to  make  strong  endeavor  tow- 
ards the  keeping  of  his  promise,  even  though  un- 
fortified by  profane  and  intemperate  language 
arising  from  below,  and  by  the  fact  that  the  mild- 
mannered  and  well  -  behaved  remnant  of  his  crew 
proved  their  efficiency  at  shortening  sail  in  a  sharp 
squall  which  struck  the  ship  before  she  was  well  off 
the  Yangtse  bank.  But  the  squall  was  followed 
by  a  greasy  calm ;  and  two  large,  sea-going  junks, 
blown  nearer  by  the  squall,  and  filled  with  yelling, 
chattering  Chinamen,  brought  into  the  problem  a 
factor  not  easily  cancelled  by  a  crew  of  twelve 
weaklings,  trained  only  to  fear  and  obedience, 
and  Captain  Jackson  could  not  but  have  thought 
of  those  counter-irritants  below.  Both  junks  were 
being  propelled  by  sweeps,  and  one  was  but  a  quar- 
ter-mile away,  the  other  about  as  far  astern  of  her. 

249 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Pirates?"  asked  the  mate,  as  he  and  the  captain 
watched  from  the  poop. 

"  No  doubt  of  it,"  answered  the  captain.  "  There's 
a  large,  anti-foreign  society  growing  in  China — Box- 
ers, they're  called — and  some  o'  them  have  taken  to 
the  sea.  They've  killed  a  lot  of  missionaries  up 
north,  and  I  heard  ashore  of  a  little  English  bark 
they  looted  in  the  Peiho.  We've  got  to  fight. 
Call  all  hands  aft,  Mr.  Becker,  and  we'll  fit  'em 
out.  Wish  I  could  trust  that  gang  below." 

"We  won't  need  'em,  sir,"  answered  the  mate. 
"Counting  in  the  cook  an'  steward,  Chips  an'  the 
two  bosuns,  there  are  twenty  of  us— good  for  a  hun- 
dred Chinks..  An'  there's  wind  coming  yonder  "- 
he  pointed  at  another  squall  growing  in  the  west — 
"  an'  we  can  keep  'em  off  till  it  comes.  They  won't 
face  powder  an'  shot." 

"  Perhaps  not.  We  may  have  to  kill  a  few, 
though." 

But  they  changed  their  estimate  of  Chinese  cour- 
age a  little  later,  even  though  they  killed  more  than 
a  few.  A  frenzied  mob  of  suicides  swarmed  up 
from  the  brown  junk  rasping  alongside,  and  with 
yells  and  shrieks  precipitated  themselves  upon  the 
score  of  men  mustered  to  receive  them.  They  were 

250 


Sinful    Peck 

armed  only  with  knives  and  spears,  and  there  was 
a  steady  death-rate  among  them  as  the  rifles,  pis- 
tols, and  shot-guns  in  the  hands  of  the  defenders 
sought  targets  and  spoke;  but  they  charged  on, 
stumbling  over  the  bodies  of  the  fallen,  flourishing 
their  blades,  and  chattering  their  strange,  minor- 
keyed  war-cries,  until  they  had  driven  the  defenders 
against  the  opposite  rail.  Here  they  closed,  and 
now  white  men  fell  to  the  deck  under  the  knife  and 
spear  thrusts.  For  a  moment  it  was  a  melee ;  then 
one  man  broke,  and  fled  for  the  cabin  door.  It 
was  Sinful  Peck,  and  the  example  was  contagious ; 
the  steward,  carpenter,  and  one  of  the  boatswains 
reached  the  poop-steps  and  climbed  them.  Here 
they  turned  to  defend  their  temporary  refuge,  firing 
point-blank  into  the  densely  packed  mass  of  yelling 
humanity  besieging  the  steps.  The  second  mate 
was  driven  into  the  companion-way.  The  first  mate 
lay  quiet  in  the  scuppers.  The  captain  and  cook, 
both  bleeding,  mounted  the  hatch  house,  while  the 
other  boatswain  and  what  was  left  of  the  foremast 
hands  were  harried  forward  by  the  fanatical  China- 
men until  they  found  safety  behind  the  closed  doors 
of  the  galley.  Then  the  pursuers  charged  back  to 
aid  in  the  siege  of  the  others,  by  which  time  the 


Sinful    Peck 

cook  had  sunk  to  his  hands  and  knees,  and  the  car- 
penter was  prone  upon  his  back  in  the  alley  on  the 
poop.  Piled  half-way  up  the  poop-steps  was  a  pile 
of  dead  and  wounded  Chinamen,  over  which  others 
were  frantically  climbing,  and  it  began  to  look  hope- 
less for  the  defenders,  even  though  the  captain  on 
the  hatch  house,  the  steward  and  boatswain  in  the 
alley,  and  the  second  mate  in  the  companion,  were 
bringing  down  a  Chinaman  with  each  bullet  ex- 
pended. But  now  a  strange  thing  happened. 

A  brown,  hollow  cone,  nearly  two  feet  in  diameter 
at  its  base  and  fully  five  feet  long,  protruded  over 
the  break  of  the  poop,  its  open  mouth  gaping  men- 
acingly at  the  struggling  Chinamen ;  and  from  its 
cavernous  interior  belched  a  mighty  volume  of 
sound  —  uproarious,  awful,  and  terrifying.  The 
Chinamen  fell  back,  but  the  horrid  resonance  fol- 
lowed them,  blasting  their  ear-drums,  paralyzing 
their  nerves,  threatening  their  souls.  Bullets  they 
understood,  but  not  this — this  massive  and  weighty 
weapon  that  hurled  thunder  at  them.  And  what 
manner  of  foreign  devil  was  behind  it,  squatting  on 
his  haunches,  supporting  the  ponderous  thing  so 
easily  with  one  hand  gripped  around  the  small  end, 
which  he  held  to  his  mouth,  while  he  puffed  out  his 

252 


Sinful    Peck 

cheeks  and  made  frightful  faces.  They  surged 
back ;  they  turned  and  fled  in  wild  panic,  and  as  the 
leaders  in  the  stampede  scrambled  over  the  rail, 
the  powerful  foreign  devil,  with  his  dreadful  instru- 
ment of  evil  still  aimed  at  them — still  emitting  the 
fearful  sounds,  sprang  clear  over  the  bodies  to  the 
main -deck  and  pursued  them. 

It  was  Sinful  Peck  with  the  ship's  papier-mache 
megaphone,  and  he  did  not  cease  his  objurgations 
until  he  had  blown  the  last  Celestial  over  the  side. 

Captain  Jackson  inspected  his  cook — badly  hurt, 
but  not  fatally — then,  being  weak  from  loss  of  blood, 
lowered  himself  painfully  to  the  deck  and  examined 
the  others.  Five  of  the  foremast  hands  were  wound- 
ed and  more  or  less  helpless;  and  Mr.  Becker  was 
dead,  with  a  knife  sticking  in  his  breast. 

Assisted  by  the  steward,  he  climbed  to  the  poop, 
crossed  over  abaft  the  cabin,  and  looked  down  at 
the  junk.  Sinful  Peck,  perched  on  the  rail,  was 
still  bombarding  them  with  ear-splitting  invective, 
and  the  Chinamen,  having  cast  off,  were  frantically 
pushing  their  junk  away  with  bamboo  poles.  For- 
ward, Mr.  Brown  was  hammering  on  the  galley  door, 
beseeching  the  inmates  to  "  come  out  like  men,  and 
stand  by  for  more  of  it."  For  more  of  it  was  prom- 

253 


Sinful    Peck 

ised;  the  other  junk  was  but  a  few  lengths  away, 
and  the  yells  of  her  crew  attested  the  fact  that 
Sinful' s  noise  was  not  yet  affecting  them. 

"It  needs  to  be  sudden  and  mysterious,"  mut- 
tered the  captain.  "It  won't  do  again."  He  looked 
to  the  west,  where  the  second  squall  was  growing, 
and  bearing  down  upon  them — a  black  and  ragged 
cloud,  its  lower  edge  dropping  rain.  It  was  a  ques- 
tion— which  would  arrive  first,  the  wind  or  the 
Chinamen. 

"Come  here,  Mr.  Peck,"  he  called,  and  as  the 
smiling  Sinful  approached  he  tossed  him  the  keys 
of  the  irons.  "Unlock  the  prisoners,"  he  said. 
"Those  curs  forrard  won't  fight  any  more,  and 
we'll  need  them  to  shorten  down  if  for  nothing 
else." 

The  smile  on  Sinful's  face  gave  way  to  a  look  of 
consternation ;  but  he  deposited  the  megaphone  on 
the  deck,  picked  up  the  keys,  and,  first  reloading  a 
few  empty  cylinders  in  his  pistol,  resolutely  enter- 
ed the  hatch-house  door  and  descended.  Captain 
Jackson  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  poop  with  his 
feet  on  the  steps,  and  waited.  He  heard  muffled 
words  from  below,  then  there  was  silence,  broken 
only  by  the  objurgations  of  Mr.  Brown  and  the 

254 


Sinful    Peck 

noise  of  the  Chinamen.  Soon  a  shock  head  ap- 
peared in  the  hatch-house  door,  and  Bigpig  Mona- 
han's  massive  shoulders  and  powerful  frame  fol- 
lowed. He  sprang  out  and  faced  the  captain,  with 
Sinful's  pistol  levelled  at  his  head,  Sinful's  car- 
tridge-belt strapped  around  him,  and  a  stern  look 
of  indignation  on  his  face.  Seldom  Helward  came 
next,  then  Moccassey  Gill,  Gunner  Meagher,  Tosser 
Galvin,  and  the  rest.  They  all  looked  angry  and 
discontented,  and  they  all  procured  belay  ing-pins 
from  the  rail  and  swarmed  around  their  leader. 


XXIX 

DON'T  shoot,  Monahan,"  the  captain  said, 
weakly  raising  his  hand.  "  I  am  knifed 
again  in  the  side.  You'll  have  enough  to  do  in 
defending  your  lives.  We  have  been  attacked  by 
pirates." 

"  So  we  surmised  down  there,  by  the  racket,"  an- 
swered Bigpig.  "And  rather  than  call  on  us  you 
left  us  to  be  murdered  in  irons.  What  d'ye  want 
of  us  now?" 

"As  I  said,  to  defend  yourselves.  At  first,  there 
seemed  to  be  no  need  of  you;  then  there  was  no 
time  to  think  of  you.  Mr.  Becker  is  dead.  The 
crew  have  hidden  in  the  galley.  Mr.  Brown  is  still 
with  me,  and  Mr.  Peck — where  is  Mr.  Peck?" 

"Down  below  with  the  darbies  on  him.  How 
d'ye  s'pose  I  got  this  gun?" 

"  Well,  well — all  right.  I  am  helpless.  The  situ- 
ation is  in  your  hands ;  but  the  Chinamen  are  com- 
ing back" — he  arose  and  pointed  to  the  masts  of 

256 


Sinful    Peck 

the  junks  showing  over  the  rail  —  "and  there  is  a 
squall  coming  which  may  blow  us  clear  of  them. 
You'd  better  brace  the  yards  to  starboard,  clew  up 
the  kites,  and  arm  yourselves." 

He  sank  down  again  in  his  weakness,  and  they 
scrambled  up  the  rail  and  looked ;  then  they  craned 
their  necks  and  looked  at  the  coming  squall. 

"All  right,  skipper,"  said  Bigpig,  as  they  stepped 
down.  "You're  a  good  fellow  when  you're  scared. 
But  just  hand  over  that  gun  o'  yours."  He  climbed 
the  steps  and  boldly  twisted  the  captain's  pistol 
from  his  nerveless  fingers.  Handing  it  to  Seldom 
Helward,  he  asked :  ' '  Now,  where  are  those  arms 
you  spoke  of?" 

"  On  these  wounded  men,  and  on  the  men  in  the 
galley.  Take  them  away  from  them ;  but  brace  the 
yards  first  and  you  may  not  need  them." 

They  gave  no  heed  to  the  last  advice;  they  re- 
lieved the  stricken  men  on  the  deck  of  their  arms 
and  cartridges,  and,  meeting  an  anxious  second 
mate  hurrying  aft,  they  even  held  him  up,  disarmed 
him,  and  tied  him  hand  and  foot  in  the  scuppers. 
Then,  with  the  heavy  iron  windlass  brakes,  they 
battered  in  the  galley  door  and  entered.  Captain 
Jackson  saw  this  with  failing  eyesight ;  also  he  heard 
'7  257 


Sinful    Peck 

a  confused  sound  of  oaths  and  protestations  from 
within  the  galley,  which  for  a  moment  dominated 
the  chattering  yells  from  over  the  side.  These  were 
ominously  near,  however,  and  he  could  see  through 
the  quarter-rail  that  the  two  junks  had  met,  and 
side  by  side  were  now  coming  together.  He  en- 
deavored to  stand  erect  and  look  over  the  house 
at  the  squall,  but  the  effort  was  too  much  for  his 
strength  and  he  sank  down  in  a  faint. 

He  was  roused  by  cold  rain  on  his  face,  and  a 
stentorian  voice,  almost  in  his  ear,  roaring:  "  Bring 
her  up  a  little  and  shake  her,  Moccassey ;  the  top- 
sails won't  come  down."  Bigpig  Monahan  had 
partly  climbed  the  poop -steps,  his  huge  head  and 
shoulders  dimly  outlined  against  a  background  of 
gray  sky  streaked  with  horizontal  rain  and  spin- 
drift. The  ship  was  heeled,  and  her  tautened 
weather  rigging  sang  a  dismal  accompaniment  to 
the  sound  of  wind  and  washing  sea.  Aloft,  skysails, 
royals,  and  one  of  the  top-gallant  sails  were  in  rib- 
bons, and  the  upper  topsails,  with  slackened  hal- 
yards, supported  the  weight  of  their  heavy  yards 
by  the  pressure  of  wind  alone.  This  much  the  cap- 
tain's mind  could  grasp  in  an  instant. 

"The  Chinaman,  Monahan?"  he  gasped. 
258 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Left  'em  astern,  skipper — dismasted,"  said  Big- 
pig,  cheerily. 

"And  the  second  mate?" 

"  In  the  scuppers,  damn  him.  We're  shortening 
down  without  him." 

It  was  moderately  good  news  under  the  circum- 
stances, and  with  the  formless,  wordless  calls  of 
sailors  at  work  ringing  in  his  ears,  Captain  Jackson 
sank  back  into  unconsciousness.  When  next  he 
revived  he  was  in  his  berth ;  his  wound  was  dressed, 
and  Bigpig,  Seldom,  Moccassey,  Tosser,  and  Poop- 
deck  were  seated  in  the  sacred  precincts,  calmly 
watching  him.  All  bore  weapons  of  some  kind. 
Standing  up  before  them  were  Mr.  Brown  and  Sin- 
ful Peck,  unrestrained  of  movement,  but  evidently 
prisoners. 

"Well,  capt'n,"  said  Bigpig,  serenely.  "You've 
come  to  again,  I  see.  Now,  your  ship's  all  right, 
and  heading  her  course  for  'Frisco.  We've  talked 
it  over.  There's  no  sense  in  putting  back  to  Shang- 
hai, or  in  touching  at  Honolulu,  as  we  thought  we'd 
do,  at  first.  We'd  be  hanged,  no  doubt,  for  piracy ; 
but  we'll  take  our  chance  in  the  Lord's  country. 
Understand?  We  don't  mean  to  give  up  these 
guns,  and  we  don't  mean  to  let  you  have  any;  for 

259 


Sinful    Peck 

our  own  safety — understand?  That  '11  be  our  plea 
in  court,  if  any  plea  is  needed.  And  we  give  you 
back  your  second  mate,  and  agree  to  take  his  orders 
and  yours,  as  lawfully  signed  seaman  of  this  ship. 
We  keep  our  hands  clean  of  all  mutiny  and  such 
things — except,  as  I  said,  retaining  these  guns  for 
self -protection.  But  we  want  this  little  devil  'fore 
the  mast  with  us  again,  and  we  want  you  legally  to 
disrate  him  right  here." 

"  You  want  him,"  said  the  captain,  "  to  maltreat 
him  as  you  did  before.  Mr.  Peck  saved  my  life.  I 
cannot  deliver  him  to  you." 

"  We  saved  your  life,  too,  and  we  saved  your  ship. 
If  we  hadn't  braced  the  yards  she'd  be  afire  now, 
and  you  roasting  with  your  throat  cut." 

"  But  you  are  under  as  heavy  obligations  to  him. 
He  remembered  a  well  -  known  weakness  of  the 
Chinese  character,  and  frightened  them  into  their 
junk  with  the  megaphone.  Had  he  not  done  this 
you  would  have  been  killed,  too." 

"  Oh,  he's  smart  enough — smart  enough  to  shang- 
hai his  friends  and  manage  things  so  that  at  no 
time  can  they  quit  this  ship  and  get  home.  Well, 
you  formally  disrate  him,  or  we'll  head  the  ship 
south." 

260 


Sinful    Peck 

There  were  mutiny,  murder,  piracy,  wrecking, 
and  all  the  crimes  in  the  nautical  calendar  inher- 
ent in  this  threat ;  and  Bigpig  spoke  determinedly. 
The  set  faces  of  the  others  bore  out  this  interpre- 
tation, and  the  captain  remained  silent  for  a  few 
moments. 

"  I  am  laid  up,"  he  said.  "  I  cannot  be  on  deck. 
I  have  no  navigator.  Will  you  allow  Mr.  Peck  to 
navigate  and  keep  the  log?" 

"Most  certainly  not!  He'll  keep  the  fo'castle 
clean.  Why,  bless  your  soul,  capt'n !  are  you  look- 
ing for  mates  ?  This  crowd  don't  need  a  boss,  and 
if  they  did,  Seldom  and  I  have  been  ship-masters 
for  twenty  years  or  so ;  and  as  for  navigation,  Poop- 
deck,  here,  took  a  ship  'round  the  Horn  for  you 
thirty  years  back.  Forgotten  that  ?  Poopdeck,  old 
man,  can  you  fetch  'Frisco?" 

"Ought  to,"  answered  Poopdeck,  confidently. 
"  Once  past  the  Loochoo  Islands,  there  isn't  a  rock 
or  shoal  this  side  of  the  Farallones." 

The  captain  again  waited,  and  thought. 

"Mr.  Peck,"  he  said,  at  last,  to  the  silent  and 
sullen -faced  little  man,  "I  can  do  no  differently. 
You  must  go  before  the  mast.  And  Mr.  Brown," 
he  added,  to  the  second  mate,  "  as  you  are  not  a 

261 


Sinful    Peck 

navigator,  I  must  promote  a  man  over  your  head. 
Mr.  Poopdeck  Cahill,  you  may  bring  your  dunnage 
aft  to  the  mate's  room  and  take  his  place." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Poopdeck.  "Will  you 
enter  this  in  your  official  log?" 

"  Of  course,  of  course — anything  for  peace.  Get 
out  of  my  cabin." 

"Come,  Sinful,  my  son,"  said  Bigpig,  gleefully, 
clapping  him  forcefully  on  the  shoulder.  "Come 
with  the  friends  of  your  youth." 

•  And  with  Sinful  heading  them  at  the  end  of  Big- 
pig's  long  arm,  they  filed  out  of  the  cabin. 


XXX 

MR.  BROWN,  the  second  mate,  was  a  limited 
man,  efficient,  of  course,  in  his  sphere,  but 
restricted  in  range  of  view — unable  to  adjust  him- 
self to  peculiar  conditions.  To  him  a  sailor  was  a 
sailor,  a  man  to  be  kept  at  work  and  spoken  to 
with  stern  emphasis;  a  captain  a  captain,  to  be 
addressed  deferentially  and  called  from  sleep  when 
top-gallant  sails  came  in.  It  mattered  little  that 
the  sailor  carried  a  gun,  or  that  he  held  his  own 
position  by  reason  of  the  sailor's  respect  for  the 
amenities ;  while  his  orders  were  obeyed  cheerfully 
and  intelligently  he  forgot  the  existence  of  the 
gun,  and,  when  he  received  orders  from  the  captain, 
ignored  the  fact  that  they  were  mere  suggestions, 
such  as  the  sailor  might  approve  of  as  working  for 
the  general  good.  That  the  sailor  might  refuse  to 
obey,  or  that  the  captain  might  not  try  to  enforce 
an  order,  was  not  within  the  scope  of  his  code  of 
ethics.  Even  Sinful  Peck's  status  was  beyond  the 

263 


Sinful    Peck 

reach  of  this  hide -bound  creed.     As  third  mate 

• 

Sinful  had  been  entitled  to  consideration ;  now,  dis- 
rated and  before  the  mast  with  his  enemies,  he 
was  a  sailor,  to  be  treated  accordingly.  So,  in  this 
shipful  of  warring  interests,  centring  only  in  a  com- 
mon wish  to  drive  the  vessel  to  San  Francisco  as 
soon  as  possible,  Mr.  Brown  was  most  certainly 
foredoomed  to  trouble.  It  came  to  him  on  a  bright 
forenoon  a  few  days  after  the  men  had  taken 
charge,  when  the  ship,  under  whole  sail,  was  riding 
easily  over  the  long  Pacific  swell,  and  the  watch, 
having  just  braced  the  yards  at  his  roaring  behest, 
had  resought  the  sunny  spots  of  the  deck  to  rest 
themselves.  So  far,  no  work  but  the  morning 
washing  down  and  the  trimming  of  sail  had  been 
attempted  since  the  mutiny ;  but  Mr.  Brown's  keen 
eye,  casually  detecting  a  few  coils  of  the  mizzen 
topsail  brace  lying  on  the  deck,  and  as,  according 
to  his  creed— which  was  to  him  also  the  will  of 
Providence — ropes  should  be  coiled  up  after  belay- 
ing, he  bawled  out  to  the  men :  "  Lay  aft  here,  one 
o'  you,  and  coil  up  that  gear." 

A  man — it  was  Tosser  Galvin — came  aft  to  the 
main-rigging,  looked  down  at  the  rope,  looked  up 
at  Mr.  Brown  at  the  head  of  the  poop-steps,  faced 

264 


Sinful    Peck 

forward — the  action  bringing  to  view  the  butt  of  a 
pistol  in  his  hip-pocket — and  when  he  had  bitten 
off  the  end  of  a  tobacco  plug,  called  to  his  mates: 
"Send  the  spit-kid  aft." 

There  was  a  commotion  among  them,  and  out 
from  the  group,  propelled  by  the  toe  of  a  large  boot, 
shot  the  small  and  fat  Sinful.  He  waddled  along 
the  deck  with  as  meek  an  expression  of  countenance 
as  is  compatible  with  a  red  and  swollen  nose  shad- 
owed by  a  blackened  eye  and  an  elevated  chin — 
elevated,  presumably,  to  lift  his  damaged  but  still 
sensitive  nose  an  inch  or  two  farther  from  the  bur- 
den he  carried  on  his  chest.  This  was  a  "  spit-kid," 
or  forecastle  cuspidor— the  lower  half  of  a  bucket 
— and  it  was  slung  to  his  neck  by  a  piece  of  spun 
yarn.  As  he  brought  up  before  Tosser  the  latter 
spat  in  the  receptacle,  pointed  to  the  rope  on  the 
deck,  and  looked  over  his  shoulder  at  Mr.  Brown 
with  an  ironical,  quizzical  scowl  that  was  peculiarly 
exasperating;  then  he  walked  forward,  and  Sinful 
coiled  the  brace  on  the  pin. 

But,  the  rope  being  wet  and  stiff,  the  coils  came 
down  again,  just  after  Sinful  had  turned  to  go  for- 
ward ;  and  Mr.  Brown,  whose  face  had  darkened  at 
Tosser's  insolence,  but  whose  creed  was  abortive  in 

265 


Sinful    Peck 

the  presence  of  his  gun,  sprang  down  the  steps  after 
Sinful,  who  had  no  gun,  and  chided  him  in  a  most 
officerly  manner. 

"All  right,  Mr.  Brown — all  right,  sir,"  answered 
Sinful,  smiling  under  the  abuse,  as  he  returned  to  the 
rope ;  "  but  I  didn't  see  it  come  down  again.  There, 
sir — how's  that?"  He  jammed  the  coils  down  be- 
tween the  others  on  the  pin,  and  turned  to  the  irate 
officer.  "  I  think  I  can  guarantee  that  it  will  stay 
up  now,  sir,  and  you  can  rest  your  soul  in  peace. 
Is  there  anything  else  I  can  do  for  you,  sir?  Do 
you  desire  to  expectorate?" 

He  walked  his  odorous  burden  up  to  Mr.  Brown. 
The  speech  and  the  action  were  insolent  in  the  ex- 
treme, yet  hardly  warranted  the  violence  of  Mr. 
Brown's  response.  With  an  oath  on  his  lips  he 
drew  back  his  fist,  launched  forward,  and  felled  the 
little  man  to  the  deck.  The  contents  of  the  cuspi- 
dor scattered  far  and  wide. 

"Now,"  roared  the  angry  Mr.  Brown,  "go  for- 
rard,  and  get  a  draw-bucket,  and  clean  up  this  muss 
— and  don't  have  any  lip  about  it,  neither." 

An  uproar  of  heartless  laughter  had  applauded 
the  feat;  but  the  men  forward  were  not  the  only 
spectators.  Captain  Jackson  had  climbed  to  the  top 

266 


Sinful    Peck 

of  the  after-house  with  his  sextant,  and  had  posted 
himself  in  a  patch  of  sunlight  for  the  mid-day  ob- 
servation, when  the  noise  from  below  attracted  his 
attention.  As  Sinful  scrambled  to  his  feet  he  called 
the  second  mate  up  to  him.  Mr.  Brown  came,  and 
faced  a  man  angrier  than  himself. 

"  Damn  you,"  said  the  captain,  in  almost  a  whis- 
per, so  as  not  to  be  heard  by  the  man  at  the  wheel, 
"if  I  wasn't  so  cut  and  slashed  and  weak  that  I 
can  hardly  bear  my  own  weight,  I'd  break  your  fool 
head  for  this.  Do  you  still  recognize  my  authority 
as  lawful  master  o'  this  ship?" 

"Why,  yes,  capt'n!"  said  the  astonished  second 
mate.  "  But  why — what — why,  sir — 

"Why  —  what  —  why,"  repeated  the  captain, 
hoarsely.  "What  'd  you  hit  him  for?  He  saved 
my  life  once.  D'you  think  I  forget  it?  You've 
made  three  parts  o'  the  trouble  I've  had  with  this 
crew  by  not  knowing  when  to  let  'em  alone.  Now, 
I  can't  prevent  those  men  from  abusing  Peck,  but, 
by  Gawd!  I'll  prevent  you." 

"  But  he  gave  me  lip,  sir;  and  he's  'fore  the  mast 
now.  You  disrated  him — 

"  Under  compulsion,  you  damned  idiot.  And 
d'you  think,  if  they  wanted  you  and  me  'fore  the 

267 


Sinful    Peck 

mast  they  couldn't  have  their  way? — with  every 
gun  on  board  in  their  hands?  But  they  haven't 
taken  away  my  authority  over  you.  Get  down 
there,  take  that  draw-bucket  from  Peck,  and  clean 
up  that  muss  yourself." 

For  strict  accordance  with,  and  dependence  upon, 
Mr.  Brown's  creed,  Captain  Jackson  had  said  too 
much — he  should  not  have  admitted  his  helpless- 
ness just  before  ordering  a  limited  second  mate  to 
menial  duty.  Mr.  Brown  looked  at  him  with  wide- 
open  eyes ;  then  at  Sinful  Peck  coming  aft  on  the 
main  deck  with  a  draw-bucket,  the  dragging  lan- 
yard of  which,  in  the  hands  of  Tosser  Galvin,  was 
coming  down  on  his  back  and  shoulders  as  a  whip. 
Though  he  shrank  under  the  castigation  he  smiled 
meekly.  Behind  Tosser,  flocking  along  like  school- 
boys scenting  a  row,  each  with  pistol,  rifle,  or  shot- 
gun strongly  in  evidence,  were  the  rest  of  the  star- 
board watch. 

"  Did  you  hear  what  I  told  you?"  said  the  captain, 
in  a  white  .heat  of  passion,  "  or  do  you  want  to  class 
in  with  those  mutineers?" 

What  may  have  been  of  later  disadvantage  in 
such  a  classification  may  not  have  appealed  to  Mr. 
Brown's  illogical  mind.  One  of  the  mutineers  had 

268 


Sinful    Peck 

just  tripped  and  pushed  Sinful  so  that  he  rolled  on 
the  deck.  Mr.  Brown  already  classed  in  with  them 
in  antagonism  to  Sinful.  Still  he  temporized. 

"  Capt'n,"  he  said,  "  I  hit  that  little  devil  for  givin' 
lip,  as  I've  hit  him  before — dozens  o'  times.  He 
shot  me  off  Singapore,  and  I  never  squared  that  up. 
He  shipped  'fore  the  mast,  and  I  shipped  second 
mate,  but  you  made  him  a  pet  and  took  him  aft — 

"  As  I  chose  to,"  stormed  the  captain.  "  And  by 
the  same  authority  I  send  you  'fore  the  mast.  Get 
down  off  this  house.  Take  your  dunnage  out  o'  that 
room.  If  I  stand  alone  in  this  ship,  I'm  her  skip- 
per, by  Gawd!  as  far  as  you're  concerned." 

Captain  Jackson  no  longer  suppressed  his  voice ; 
not  only  the  man  at  the  wheel,  but  the  men  beneath 
on  the  main-deck,  could  hear  plainly;  they  ceased 
attentions  to  Sinful  and  looked  up  inquiringly, 
while  Sinful  picked  up  himself  and  the  fallen  draw- 
bucket,  and  the  observant  helmsman  sang  out  de- 
risively: "John  Brown,  come  out  o'  the  house — 
come  out  o'  the  house,  John  Brown." 

The  irreverent  speech  could  hardly  have  influ- 
enced Mr.  Brown.  But  here  was  an  unjust  cap- 
tain bent  upon  humiliating  him,  and  down  below 
a  reckless,  rollicking  crowd  of  men  whose  souls  were 

269 


Sinful    Peck 

full  of  hatred  for  this  captain,  and  whose  present 
mission  in  life  seemed  the  tormenting  of  Sinful  Peck, 
the  cause  of  his  trouble.  They  would  welcome  him ; 
but  he  would  make  the  last  stand  of  the  defeated 
and  dethroned. 

"All  right,"  he  grumbled.  "I'll  go  forrard  all 
right,  but  I'm  damned  if  that  fat  son  of  a  thief 
don't  obey  my  last  order." 


XXXI 

HE  swung  himself  over  the  house-rail  to  the 
alley,  and  descended  the  poop-steps;  then  he 
made  a  run  towards  Sinful,  caught  him  as  he  was 
climbing  the  rail  with  the  bucket,  and  pulled  him 
down. 

"What  ye  sogerin'  about?"  he  thundered  in  his 
car.  "Didn't  I  tell  you  to  clean  up  this  deck? 
Hey?  What  ye  sogerin'  about?" 

He  had  raised  his  fist  to  strike  the  small  man 
again,  but  did  not.  Sinful's  limits  of  endurance 
were  reached.  "Let  go,"  he  shouted,  angrily. 
"  Damn  you,  let  go."  Then  he  wriggled  out  of  the 
assailant's  grasp,  and  with  the  bucket  rope  still  in 
his  hand,  sprang  back.  The  men  crowded  around, 
voicing  approval  and  encouragement — some  to  Mr. 
Brown,  some  to  Sinful;  but  all  of  it  lacked  sym- 
pathy. 

"  If  I'm  to  be  hammered  to  death,"  yelled  Sinful, 
swinging  the  heavy,  water-soaked  bucket  around 

271 


Sinful    Peck 

his  head,  "  I  don't  care  who  I  kill  first."  He  let  the 
bucket  fly,  and  it  struck  the  misguided  Mr.  Brown 
squarely  in  the  chest,  knocking  him  back,  and  down. 
The  men  yelled  their  delight. 

"Go  it,  Sinful,"  they  said.  "Go  for  him,  Brown 
— don't  take  that  from  a  'foremast  hand — get  an- 
other draw-bucket — fight  it  out  with  buckets." 

"Keep  back,  all  of  you,"  screamed  the  enraged 
Sinful,  swinging  his  missile  again.  "  Let  me  alone, 
you  damned  Indians."  They  laughingly  gave  him 
room. 

"  Hold  on  there,  Sinful,"  called  a  voice  from  the 
cabin  door.  "  Drop  the  bucket.  Mr.  Brown,  keep 
your  hands  off  that  man;  he's  our  meat."  Mr. 
Brown,  who  had  arisen,  halted  on  his  way  towards 
Sinful,  and  looked  around,  while  Sinful,  letting  the 
bucket  fall  to  the  deck,  called  out : 

"  Poopdeck,  if  you've  any  authority  whatever 
over  these  brutes,  use  it,  or,  by  Heavens!  I'll  do 
murder.  I  can  give  and  take  a  practical  joke,  but 
I  won't  stand  much  more  of  this." 

"  None  in  your  case,  Sinful,"  said  Poopdeck,  "  and 
if  I  had  it  I  wouldn't  use  it."  He  crowded  through 
the  group  of  men,  a  quadrant  in  his  hand.  "  Your 
record's  bad.  You  should  have  thought  o'  this  be- 

272 


Sinful    Peck 

fore.  Now  you  must  take  what  comes.  Who  made 
this  muss  on  the  deck?"  Poopdeck  looked  around 
at  the  men. 

"  Mr.  Brown  made  it,"  said  Sinful. 

"  Peck  made  it,"  said  Mr.  Brown. 

"They  both  did  it,"  declared  one  of  the  men. 

"  He  knocked  me  down,"  said  Sinful,  vehemently, 
"  and  the  cuspidor  which  my  dear  friends  and  town- 
fellows  hung  to  my  neck  was  spilled." 

"  Mr.  Cahill,"  called  the  captain  from  the  monkey- 
rail  above  them,  "  Peck  speaks  the  truth.  I  have 
ordered  my  second  mate,  who  is  still  under  my 
authority,  to  clean  up  the  deck  himself.  On  his 
refusing  I  have  ordered  him  before  the  mast.  As 
acting  first  mate,  will  you  see  that  my  orders  are 
carried  out?" 

"Most  certainly,  skipper,"  answered  Poopdeck, 
with  a  smile,  and  he  turned  to  Mr.  Brown.  "You 
hear  this  ?"  he  added.  "  You're  'fore  the  mast  from 
this  on." 

"Yes,  I'm  one  o'  you,"  said  the  disgraced  officer. 
"And  you  hear  that,  capt'n,"  he  called  upward, 
shaking  his  fist.  "I'm  one  o'  this  crowd  now. 
Just  look  out  how  you  handle  me."  Then  he  look- 
ed around  at  his  brethren  with  a  fraternal,  though 
is  273 


Sinful    Peck 

sickly,  smile  on  his  seamy  face.     But  no  answering 
smile  welcomed  him. 

"  Who  the  hell  made  you  one  of  us?"  asked  Tosser 
Galvin,  in  a  tone  of  disgust.  "You'll  pull  ropes 
with  us  at  the  tail  end ;  and  you'll  do  as  you're  told 
by  any  man  aboard  except  Sinful;  but  you  class 
with  him,  not  us." 

"That's  right,"  said  others.  "They're  a  pair. 
Let  'em  both  clean  the  deck." 

"Take  hold  o'  that  bucket,"  commanded  Poop- 
deck,  "and  help  Sinful." 

"Bear  a  hand  there,  Brown,"  they  chorused. 
"Get  to  work.  Go  get  a  broom,  Sinful."  Sinful 
procured  a  broom  from  the  rack  in  the  hatch  house, 
while  Brown — Mister  no  longer — looked  blankly 
around  at  the  scowling  faces  and  mounted  the  rail 
with  the  draw  -  bucket.  Then,  as  he  and  his  late 
victim  began  washing  down  the  deck,  the  men  went 
forward,  and  Poopdeck  climbed  to  the  top  of  the 
house  with  his  quadrant.  He  found  the  captain, 
pale  of  face,  seated  supinely  on  the  skylight. 

"Mr.  Cahill,"  he  said,  weakly,  "I  must  depend 
upon  your  observation  this  noon.  I  cannot  stand 
up.  I  cannot  retain  my  strength  after  any  excite- 
ment." 

274 


Sinful    Peck 

"All  right,  skipper,"  answered  Poopdeck,  seek- 
ing a  position  where  he  would  not  need  to  turn  his 
back  upon  the  captain  while  sighting  the  sun.  Fail- 
ing in  this,  he  removed  a  pistol  from  a  hip  to  a 
front  pocket  of  his  trousers ;  for  captains,  deprived 
of  authority,  are  prone  to  be  tricky.  Noticing  the 
transfer,  Captain  Jackson  said,  petulantly : 

"You  needn't  be  afraid  of  me  now.  My  first 
mate  is  dead,  my  second  disrated.  I  stand  alone. 
All  I  want  is  to  get  to  'Frisco  quickly." 

"  Where  you  hope  to  jail  us  fop  mutiny,  eh?"  an- 
swered Poopdeck,  squinting  through  the  sights  of 
his  quadrant.  "  Well,  we're  just  as  anxious ;  and  if 
you  haven't  blood  enough  to  stand  up  with,  it's 
your  own  fault.  There  are  six  or  seven  men  in  their 
bunks  forward  worse  off  than  you ;  but  if  you'd  let 
us  out  of  irons  in  time  the  pirates  wouldn't  have  got 
aboard  at  all,  and  no  one  would  have  been  hurt — 
What's  the  matter  with  you?" 

The  captain,  in  endeavoring  to  rise,  had  fallen  to 
the  deck.  Poopdeck  assisted  him  to  the  skylight 
and  asked,  "Want  the  steward?" 

"  I  would  like  to  talk  with  Peck.  He  is  a  skilled 
physician — and  I  don't  seem  to  get  well." 

"Sinful,"  called  Poopdeck  over  the  monkey- 
275 


Sinful    Peck 

rail,  "let  Brown  finish  that  job,  and  come  up 
here." 

Sinful  soon  appeared,  .quite  recovered  from  his 
late  rage,  but  resembling  anything  but  a  skilled 
physician.  Both  eyes  were  black  now,  and  he  was 
dripping  wet. 

"  Pardon  my  dishevelled  appearance,  gentle- 
men," he  said,  suavely.  "My  new  friend  and  co- 
worker  has  a  hard  fist  and  a  harder  heart.  He 
threw  a  bucket  of  water  over  me  as  I  was  leaving 
him.  And  my  dear  friends  forward  think  it  a 
splendid  joke.  Hear  them  laughing  yet." 

"Attend  to  the  skipper,"  said  Poopdeck,  sternly. 

Sinful  examined  pulse  and  tongue,  then  said: 
"  You  want  nothing  but  rest,  quiet,  and  nourishing 
food,  captain — though,  if  I  can  have  access  to  the 
medicine-chest,  I  can  fix  you  up  a  tonic." 

"You'd  better  keep  away  from  the  medicine- 
chest,"  said  the  listening  Poopdeck.  "You  fixed 
up  a  dose  of  prickly  heat  for  us  that  kept  us 
aboard  at  Manila." 

"  It  was  a  contagious  skin-disease  that  you  must 
have  acquired  at  Singapore,"  said  Sinful.  "The 
health  officer  so  diagnosed  it." 

"  It  was  croton  oil  in  the  water  you  washed  our 
276 


Sinful    Peck 

clothes  in,"  said  Poopdeck,  hotly.  "  Now  shut  up." 
He  took  another  sight  at  the  sun,  and  Sinful  shook 
with  silent  glee. 

"Do  you  deny  me  the  benefit  of  Peck's  knowl- 
edge of  drugs,  Mr.  Cahill?"  asked  the  captain,  with 
dignity. 

"No — no— provided  he  takes  nothing  forward." 

"  But  do  you  deny  me  the  benefit  of  the  med- 
icine-chest ?"  asked  Sinful.  "If  I  must  carry 
that  cuspidor  around  much  longer,  I  will  be  the 
sickest  man  aboard.  I  have  a  splitting  headache 
now." 

Poopdeck  lowered  his  quadrant  and  called  "  eight 
bells"  to  the  helmsman.  When  the  bell  was  struck 
aft  and  repeated  forward,  he  looked  down  into  the 
little  man's  face  and  said :  "  Swallow  the  whole  med- 
icine-chest. Poison  yourself  if  you  can." 

"Thank  you,"  answered  Sinful,  quietly.  "I 
really  am  telling  the  truth.  I  am  ill." 

Poopdeck  went  below  to  work  out  the  latitude, 
and  Sinful  followed,  returning  soon  with  the  tonic 
he  had  recommended  to  the  captain.  He  worked 
his  lips  as  he  handed  it  over,  as  though  there  was  a 
bad  taste  in  his  mouth. 

"  Quinine's  bitter  stuff  to  take  straight,  captain," 
277 


Sinful    Peck 

he  said.  "  But  I  suppose  I'm  lucky  to  get  it  in  any 
way.  I'm  having  hard  times  forward." 

"  How  are  they  treating  you?"  asked  the  captain. 

"  Inhumanly,  captain.  Besides  carrying  the  cus- 
pidor and  trotting  up  to  each  man  who  wants  to 
expectorate,  I  must  do  all  the  menial  work  of  the 
two  forecastles,  wash  their  clothes,  and  act  as 
punching-bag  when  they  want  exercise." 

"  Can't  you  dope  them,  and  get  hold  of  a  gun  or 
two?" 

"Not  easily,  sir.  They  won't  let  me  near  the 
grub,  nor  into  the  forecastle  alone.  They  throw 
my  meals  out  on  deck  to  me,  and  I  sleep  on  the 
carpenter-shop  floor  with  my  patients.  One  man 
is  detailed  to  watch  me  at  night." 

"  How  is  the  carpenter  getting  on,  and  the  cook, 
and  the  rest?" 

"Fairly  well,  sir.  They'll  all  recover  in  time. 
One  of  the  gang  attends  to  the  cooking,  you  know, 
and  when  my  duties  permit  I  bandage  the  patients 
—but  not  much  longer,  I'm  afraid.  I've  a  chill  on 
me  now,  and  have  a  bad  tongue  —  examined  it  in 
Chip's  mirror  this  morning.  Look  at  it,  sir."  He 
extended  his  tongue ;  it  was  thickly  coated. 


XXXII 

THE  captain  smiled  meaningly.  "A  physi- 
cian," he  said,  "and  a  lawyer,  besides  being  a 
sailor!  Have  you  been  an  actor,  too?" 

Sinful's  reply  was  silenced  by  the  sudden  presence 
of  Poopdeck  Cahill.  He  appeared  at  the  head  of 
the  steps  just  in  time  to  hear  the  last  few  words  and 
see  the  protruding  tongue,  and  sternly  ordered  the 
confab  closed. 

"  Yes,  you're  a  pretty  good  actor,"  he  said  to  the 
retreating  Sinful;  " you  can  make  your  tongue  look 
as  you  like,  and  you  can  simulate  any  symptoms 
of  any  disease  known  to  you;  but  you  can't  fool 
this  crowd  any  more.  Just  you  try  any  soldiering 
if  you  dare." 

He  followed  him  down  the  steps,  and  forward, 
while  the  captain  painfully  descended  to  his  dinner. 
When  he  came  up  at  one  bell  he  saw  the  whole  crew 
lounging  about  the  forward  deck,  smoking  and 
laughing.  Among  them,  Brown  and  Sinful  moved 

279 


Sinful    Peck 

as  they  were  called  or  beckoned,  side  by  side,  with 
arms  lashed  together,  and  the  cuspidor  slung  to 
their  necks. 

"  Harnessed  to  a  man  who  hates  him  more  than 
they  do,"  muttered  the  captain.  "But  while  he 
has  the  run  of  the  medicine-chest,  I'll  trust  him  to 
outwit  them  yet." 

A  little  later,  Tosser  Galvin  came  aft  and  an- 
nounced himself  elected  second  .mate  in  place  of 
Mr.  Brown.  Poopdeck  gravely  introduced  Mister 
Galvin  to  Captain  Jackson. 

"  Not  that  I'm  the  best  man  for  the  berth,  capt'n," 
he  said,  in  mock  seriousness,  "nor  that  any  one  else 
wants  it ;  nor  that  in  this  government  of  the  crew, 
by  the  crew,  for  the  crew,  a  second  mate  is  need- 
ed ;  nor  is  it  kindly  to  stand  your  watch  for  you, 
for  you  deserve  no  particular  consideration.  But 
I  want  to  remove  myself  from  the  vicinity  of 
Sinful  Peck.  I  can't  pass  him  without  slugging 
him,  and  the  habit  grows.  I  fear  I  will  kill  him. 
I  am  going  home,  to  my  family  and  my  busi- 
ness, and  I-  want  no  complications  with  the  po- 
lice." 

"  And  do  you  think  you  will  escape  them?"  asked 
the  skipper.  "  For  depriving  me  of  command  each 

280 


Sinful    Peck 

of  you  is  liable  to  a  heavy  fine  and  from  two  to  ten 
years  in  prison." 

"  Not  in  the  glorious  land  of  the  dollar,  captain," 
answered  Tosser,  with  a  grin;  "  and  if  you  argue  on 
technicalities,  we  haven't  deprived  you  of  com- 
mand. We've  simply  deprived  you  of  your  guns. 
You  disrated  your  officers." 

"You  are  mutinous  sailors,  just  the  same,"  said 
the  captain,  doggedly. 

"Now,  skipper,"  said  Poopdeck,  good-humor- 
edly,  "get  that  notion  out  of  your  head.  You've 
too  much  faith  in  that  little  devil's  description  of 
us — dock-rats  and  hoboes.  He  saved  your  life,  and 
you're  fond  of  him;  that's  admitted.  But  can't 
you  read  him  yet?  He's  a  shrewd,  brainy  lawyer, 
who  had  been  a  physician,  and  before  that  a  sea- 
man. He's  gifted  with  a  peculiar  sense  of  humor 
which  impelled  him  to  shanghai  his  friends  when 
he  shipped  on  his  fool  bet,  and  exert  every  energy 
since  to  make  them  finish  the  voyage  with  him. 
Well — he's  succeeded,  but  he  isn't  happy;  neither 
is  his  dear  friend  Brown,  if  I'm  a  judge  of  human 
nature.  Look  at  them." 

They  looked  just  in  time  to  see  Brown,  his  free 
hand  on  Sinful' s  throat,  choking  and  shaking  him 

281 


Sinful    Peck 

as  vigorously  as  their  bonds  permitted.  The  men 
applauded  hilariously;  but  when  Sinful  fell  help- 
lessly to  the  deck,  a  large  man  stepped  leisurely 
towards  them,  lifted  Sinful  to  his  feet,  and  wagged 
a  big  forefinger  in  Brown's  face. 

"  Bigpig's  too  damned  soft-hearted,"  said  Tosser, 
in  a  tone  of  disgust.  ' '  Why  shouldn't  one  dog  worry 
another.  It's  their  nature." 

"  But  you  wouldn't  tie  two  dumb  brutes  to- 
gether," said  the  captain,  in  a  rage.  "By  Gawd! 
if  I'd  known  this  I'd  ha'  kept  Brown  aft,  where  I 
could  control  him." 

"Captain,"  said  Poopdeck,  coldly,  "you're  ex- 
cited. Better  go  below  and  quiet  your  nerves." 

But  the  hard-hearted  Tosser  and  the  cold-heart- 
ed Poopdeck  partly  redeemed  themselves  a  few  mo- 
ments later.  Captain  Jackson  left  them,  not  to  go 
below,  but  to  go  forward,  where  he  shook  his  fist  in 
Brown's  face  and  used  language  unbecoming  one 
deprived  of  authority,  for  which  the  limited  Brown 
knocked  him  down. 

"The  contemptible  cur,"  exclaimed  Poopdeck, 
"to  hit  a  wounded  man!" 

"  Let's  kick  the  lungs  out  of  him,"  snarled  Tosser ; 
and  the  two  leaped  off  the  poop  and  ran  forward. 

282 


Sinful    Peck 

But  the  others  were  ahead  of  them.  Mr.  Brown 
was  already  disconnected  from  Sinful  when  they 
arrived,  and  hard  fists  and  heavy  boots  were  imping- 
ing upon  various  parts  of  his  anatomy  with  all  the 
force  that  strong  and  indignant  men  could  give 
them,  while  his  yells  of  pain  troubled  the  air.  The 
huge  Bigpig  stopped  the  punishment  before  these 
yells  grew  too  faint,  and  then  said,  sternly,  to  the 
captain,  who  had  picked  himself  up  and  was  lean- 
ing against  a  water-tank: 

"Now,  Jackson,  you'll  possibly  see  a  good  deal 
going  on  here  that  you  won't  approve  of,  but  we 
won't  have  you  interfering  —  understand?  We're 
not  ill-treating  you,  and  we  won't  have  you  struck 
when  you're  sick;  and  you  can  take  your  ship  into 
'Frisco,  nominally  in  command ;  but  until  then,  we're 
in  command.  Now,  go  aft,  where  you  belong." 

Brown,  not  able,  or  not  willing,  to  move,  was  be- 
ing bundled  into  the  carpenter-shop,  and  his  bear- 
ers were  jocularly  commenting  on  his  bad  taste. 
Captain  Jackson  went  aft,  followed  by  Tosser  and 
Poopdeck.  They  met  at  the  forward  cabin  door. 

"You  understand  the  situation,  captain,"  said 
Poopdeck,  gravely.  "The  wrong  done  us  by  that 
fat  little  devil  cannot  be  righted  by  means  of  any 

283 


Sinful    Peck 

legal  procedure  on  shore;  and  coals  of  fire  would 
cool  on  his  head.  As  for  Brown — I  don't  think 
he'll  hit  you  again." 

"Have  you  left  me  any  authority  at  all,"  asked 
the  captain,  weakly,  as  he  leaned  for  support 
against  the  house — "over  Brown?  He's  not  one 
of  you.  If  I  have  that  authority,  I  order  him  in 
irons  for  striking  me." 

"You  disrated  him,  captain,  and  you  have  no 
authority  over  any  one  forward.  Besides,  Brown 
is  a  help  to  us." 

"To  help  you  torture  Peck,"  responded  the  cap- 
tain, in  a  tone  which  indicated  the  animus  of  his 
suggestion  to  iron  Brown.  "  I  don't  care  to  wit- 
ness it.  He  went  overboard  after  me  in  a  gale. 
Take  care  of  the  ship;  I  shall  stay  below." 

He  turned  to  enter  the  cabin,  but  paused  at  the 
sight  of  Sinful  approaching  from  forward.  Sinful 
walked  languidly,  and  his  face,  where  not  disfigured 
by  red,  black,  and  blue  spots,  was  white  and  drawn ; 
his  eyes  were  dull,  his  lips  were  parted,  and  his 
shoulders  drooped  as  he  walked.  He  was  a  picture 
of  utter  misery,  but  his  spirit  was  unbroken. 

"I  have  another  patient,  gentleman,"  he  said. 
"  I  am  after  arnica  and  plaster  bandages  from  the 

284 


Sinful    Peck 

medicine  -  chest.  Though  I  would  that  the  cup 
should  pass  from  me,  I  must  nurse  Mr.  Brown. 
With  care  and  attention  he  will  be  able  to  assist  at 
the  cuspidor  to-morrow;  but  by  that  time  I  fear 
there  will  be  a  second  vacancy." 

Poopdeck  closely  scanned  his  face,  and  said: 
"You  have  free  permission  to  poison  yourself,  Sin- 
ful, but  not  too  quickly.  What  are  you  dosing 
yourself  with?" 

"Quinine,  you  inhuman  Comanche,"  retorted 
Sinful.  "I've  a  bad  chill,  and  there'll  be  a  febrile 
reaction  to-morrow;  but  don't  fancy  I'll  think  of 
suicide." 

A  shaking  of  weather  leeches  attracted  Poop- 
deck's  attention,  and  he  and  Tosser  left  them  to 
brace  the  yards. 

"I  am  utterly  powerless,  Peck,  and  can't  help 
you,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  weary  smile  on  his 
own  pale  face  as  he  turned  from  him;  "but  you're 
doing  well — you  may  hoodwink  them."  Then  he 
entered  the  cabin,  and  Sinful  stared  blankly  after 
him  before  following.  Coming  down  the  poop-steps 
and  looking  hard  at  him  was  Poopdeck,  who,  un- 
seen by  the  captain,  must  have  heard  his  last  re- 
mark. 

285 


Sinful    Peck 

"Here,  you — come  out  o'  that."  Sinful  came. 
"You  look  too  innocent,"  continued  Poopdeck. 
"  Keep  away  from  that  medicine-chest,  and  come 
to  me  for  what  you  want.  Lend  a  hand  on  the 
main-brace." 

"I  want  arnica  and  plaster,  as  I  said,"  respond- 
ed Sinful,  "and  quinine  for  myself.  I  don't  know 
what  ails  me."  His  tone  was  as  innocent  as  his 
face. 

"  I  know  what  ails  you,"  said  Poopdeck,  harshly. 
"Get  to  work." 

Sinful  went  forward,  and  applied  no  more  for 
access  to  the  medicine.  When  questioned  at  the 
close  of  the  day,  he  said,  wearily:  "  I  want  nothing 
until  I  can  diagnose  my  symptoms.  Quinine  does 
not  relieve  them.  As  for  Brown — nurse  him  your- 
selves." And  upon  Brown's  emphatic  declaration, 
delivered  painfully  between  thickened  lips,  that  he 
did  not  want  his  ministrations,  they  relieved  him 
of  this  duty. 


XXXIII 

TWENTY -FOUR  hours  is  a  long  time  for  a 
skipper,  even  one  deprived  of  active  command, 
to  remain  off  the  deck ;  and  on  the  next  afternoon 
Captain  Jackson  appeared;  but  what  he  saw  sent 
him  back.  It  was  not  the  gray  waste  of  sea  and  sky 
or  the  charging  combers  that  hammered  his  ship; 
for  she  was  in  ballast  and  rode  them  easily ;  nor  was 
it  the  ship-shape  condition  of  his  spars  and  top-ham- 
per; his  trained  ear  had  noted  all  the  morning  the 
progress  of  shortening  sail,  and  the  confident  ring 
and  twang  to  roaring  orders  apprised  him  that  all 
was  going  well.  The  vessel  was  hove  to  under 
reefed  topsails;  men  in  oil-skins,  belted  and  armed, 
paced  up  and  down  under  the  shelter  of  the  weather 
rail ;  a  few  were  coiling  up  the  lately  used  foretop- 
sail  halyards  and  braces.  Poopdeck  and  Tosser, 
equipped  like  the  rest,  stood  in  the  weather  alley, 
staring  into  the  storm ;  and  the  helmsman  held  the 
kicking  wheel  with  one  hand.  The  ship  was  in 

287 


Sinful    Peck 

good  hands,  and,  sick  man  that  he  was,  his  presence 
could  be  dispensed  with.  But,  down  in  the  lee 
scuppers  was  the  sight  that  drove  him  down,  cursing 
to  himself.  Sinful,  flat  on  his  back  on  the  slanting 
deck,  with  his  right  wrist  manacled  to  Brown's  left, 
was  being  kicked  vigorously  by  the  latter  to  induce 
him  to  rise.  The  captain's  last  glimpse  showed  him 
his  friend  being  dragged  bodily  by  the  rejuvenated 
Brown  up  to  the  shelter  of  the  weather  rail,  with 
the  cuspidor  hanging  between  them.  He  remained 
in  his  room  until  visited  at  nightfall  by  Poopdeck. 

"Wish  you'd  come  forward,  capt'n,"  said  the 
mate,  with  a  little  of  doubt  in  his  face  and  voice, 
"and  take  a  look  at  Sinful." 

"What's  the  matter  with  him?" 

"Well,  he's  talking  to  himself.  We've  put  him 
in  the  carpenter-shop.  But  we  don't  want  to  carry 
this  thing  too  far." 

"  You  don't?"  sneered  the  captain.  "  No ;  you're 
willing  to  torture  him  until  he  might  wish  for  death, 
but  you  don't  want  him  to  die.  You  don't  want 
actual  murder  on  your  souls.  Well,  I  tell  you" — 
the  captain  raised  his  voice — "  get  out  of  it  the  best 
way  you  can.  I  would  rather  see  him  dead  than 
suffering  as  he  does,  and  I  know  he  would  rather 

288 


Sinful    Peck 

die.     The  man  is  sick,  and  he  told  you  so  in  my 
presence." 

"  Now,  skipper,  you  know  better  than  that,"  ex- 
postulated the  uneasy  Poopdeck.  "You  know  as 
well  as  I  do  that  he's  drugged  himself  to  play  off 
sick.  But  he  needs  an  antidote  now." 

"  Well,  let  him  alone  and  he'll  find  one." 

Poopdeck  left  the  cabin,  and  the  captain  re- 
mained below  until  the  following  morning,  when 
he  stepped  out  through  the  forward  companion. 
The  gale  had  passed,  and  the  ship  was  riding  along 
under  full  sail.  Forward,  the  watch  was  drying 
the  wet  deck,  and  among  them  worked  Brown- 
alone.  Poopdeck  and  Tosser  stood  near  the  com- 
panion, and,  as  the  captain  appeared,  Bigpig  joined 
them  from  forward. 

"  He's  coming  'round  all  right,"  said  the  latter. 
' '  Damned  feverish  and  delirious  until  about  half  an 
hour  ago,  when  he  quieted  down.  He's  all  broken 
out  in  a  pimply  rash  on  the  forehead,  and  it's 
spreading.  The  dope  coming  out  through  the  skin, 
I  s'pose.  But  the  cripples  don't  want  him  among 
them.  S'pose  we  put  him  in  the  'tween  deck?" 

"No,"  objected  Poopdeck.     "What's  the  use  of 
two  hospitals?     There's  nothing  infectious." 
19  289 


Sinful    Peck 

"  There  might  be,"  said  the  captain,  impulsively. 
"Perhaps  I  have  more  knowledge  of  these  things 
than  you.  I'll  see  him." 

"You  won't,"  said  Poopdeck,  placing  himself  be- 
fore the  captain.  "You  missed  your  chance  last 
evening  when,  I  admit,  we  were  worried.  He's  all 
right  now,  and  when  he's  able  to  stand,  the  circus 
begins  again." 

"  But  the  eruption,"  began  the  captain,  "  for  your 
own— 

"He's  sound  asleep,  and  '11  soon  wake  up  and 
peep  for  his  breakfast,"  interrupted  Bigpig.  "I 
told  you,  skipper,  we'd  have  no  meddling." 

"  But  if  there  is  infection  in  my  ship,"  exclaimed 
the  captain,  explosively,  "and  if  Peck,  my  best 
friend  on  earth — 

"Go  into  your  cabin  and  remain  there,"  said 
Poopdeck,  sternly.  "Remain  there  until  we  call 
you  out.  Go— and  don't  force  us  to  action." 

The  other  two  closed  up  beside  Poopdeck,  and 
the  captain  regarded  their  threatening  eyes.  He 
turned  and  entered  the  cabin. 

There  he  remained,  a  prisoner  of  state,  denied 
even  the  services  ^*"  Ms  steward,  and  receiving  his 
meals  from  the  tarry  hands  of  a  sailor,  for  two  days 

290 


Sinful    Peck 

more,  when  Poopdeck's  angry  voice  shouted  down 
the  after  -  companion :  "Might  as  well  come  up; 
you'll  be  interested." 

He  ascended  to  the  deck.  Seaman-like,  his  first 
glance  was  aloft,  and  at  the  monkey-gaff  on  the 
mizzen  he  saw  the  small  flags  of  the  International 
Signal  Code  which  made  up  his  ship's  number.  The 
maintop  sail  was  backed,  and  about  a  quarter-mile 
away  on  the  heaving  blue  lay  a  white  cruiser  with 
the  American  flag  at  the  stern.  Poopdeck  and 
Tosser  stood  near  the  wheel,  the  rest  of  the  muti- 
neers amidships. 

"The  jig's  up,  skipper,"  said  Poopdeck,  as  he 
handed  him  the  binoculars  and  pointed  to  a  num- 
ber of  white-clad  men  clearing  away  a  boat.  "  That's 
the  same  fellow  that  lay  at  Shanghai  with  us." 

"Good!"  answered  the  captain,  with  a  delighted 
smile,  as  he  took  the  glasses.  "  But  how,  may  I  ask, 
or  why,  did  you  let  him  know  how  much  I  needed 
him?" 

A  look  of  hearty  disgust  and  chagrin  came  to 
Poopdeck's  face  in  spite  of  his  effort  at  self-control ; 
but  neither  he  nor  Tosser  answered  the  question^' 

"And  how  is  Peck — dead  or  alim?"  asked  the 
captain,  still  smiling. 

291 


Sinful    Peck 

"About  the  same,  skipper,"  answered  Poopdeck. 
"  Out  of  his  head,  and  the  pimples  are  bigger,  that's 
all.  Come,  Tosser,  we  don't  belong  on  the  poop." 

"Wait,"  said  the  smiling  skipper.  "If  he's  out 
of  his  head  he  can't  apply  the  antidote.  As  the 
boat  hasn't  started,  suppose  we  signal  for  a  surgeon 
to  come  along.  Have  I  your  permission?" 

"The  jig's  up,  I  told  you,"  answered  Poopdeck. 
"  Suit  yourself." 

"  I'll  do  that  much  for  the  little  cuss,"  said  Tosser, 
turning  back  to  a  pile  of  flags  near  the  companion. 
"  Give  me  the  letters,  captain." 

"  F.  C.  D.,"  answered  the  captain,  after  inspecting 
the  signal-book,  which  lay  on  the  house. 

Tosser  ran  up  the  letters  as  he  hauled  down  the 
number,  and  an  affirmative  answer  appeared  on  the 
cruiser's  signal-yard.  Then  Tosser  followed  his  fel- 
low-officer down  to  the  main-deck,  where  they  joined 
their  disquieted  townsmen  amidships. 


XXXIV 

WE  thought  there  was  something  wrong, 
captain,"  said  Mr.  Belknap,  one  of  a 
couple  of  officers  who  preceded  the  boat's  crew  up 
the  side  ten  minutes  later.  "When  over  a  dozen 
men  muster  on  the  top-gallant  forecastle  of  a  Yan- 
kee ship  at  ten  in  the  morning — all  smoking  pipes 
—we  get  suspicious.  And  I  see" — he  glanced  at 
the  group  amidships — "  that  everybody  carries  side- 
arms  but  yourself.  What  has  happened?" 

"A  fight  with  Boxer  pirates  on  the  coast,"  an- 
swered the  captain,  "in  which  I  was  forced  to  re- 
lease my  mutineers.  Then,  having  arms,  and  with 
my  mate  killed,  they  controlled  the  situation. 
They  have  just  released  me." 

"  Um  -  humph.  State  -  prison  offence,  that,"  said 
the  officer.  "By-the-way —  pardon  me.  This  is 
Dr.  Fleming.  You  signalled  for  a  surgeon."  The 
captain  shook  hands  with  the  surgeon. 

"  I  did.  I  have  a  competent  mate  in  the  carpen- 
293 


Sinful    Peck 

ter-shop  who  drugged  himself  into  sickness  to  escape 
their  persecution.     I  think  he  overdosed  himself." 

"I'll  see  him,"  said  the  surgeon,  turning  away. 
He  beckoned  to  a  couple  of  the  boat's  crew  as  he 
passed  them,  and  together  they  moved  forward. 

"  Now,  what  do  you  want  to  do,  captain?"  asked 
the  officer.  "  Send  them  aboard  our  ship  in  irons? 
What,  then,  will  you  do  for  a  crew?  We  are  short- 
handed." 

"No;  decidedly  no,"  answered  Captain  Jackson, 
warmly;  "disarm  them  for  me,  and  get  Mr.  Peck 
out  of  their  hands.  With  arms,  I'll  sail  these  devils 
into  hell  and  out  again." 

"  We  can  do  that,  captain.     Muster  them  aft." 

They  came  at  the  captain's  call,  sober-faced  and 
dogged,  and  piled  their  weapons  on  the  booby-hatch 
at  his  command. 

"  You  can  make  Honolulu  in  a  day  or  two,"  sug- 
gested the  officer,  "where  you  can  jail  them  and 
ship  a  new  crowd." 

The  men  heard,  and  saw  the  workings  of  the  cap- 
tain's face.  Bigpig  spoke  up. 

"  I've  this  to  say,  sir,"  he  said  to  the  officer,  "that 
we're  American  citizens  and  are  willing  to  face  any 
consequences  in  any  American  court." 

294 


Sinful    Peck 

"Are  you?"  asked  the  captain,  hotly,  as  he  fin- 
gered a  revolver  on  the  hatch.  "  Well,  you'll  face 
some  of  the  consequences  right  here  aboard  this 
ship;  and  we  won't  put  into  Honolulu,  either." 

There  was  a  commotion  forward.  Out  of  the  car- 
penter-shop came  the  surgeon  and  two  sailors,  and 
aft  on  a  run.  Half  -  way  the  surgeon  halted  and 
called  to  the  other  two.  "  Keep  away  from  every- 
body. Get  over  to  leeward."  But,  blowing  their 
noses  and  breathing  hard,  they  had  joined  their 
mates. 

"  Small-pox !"  yelled  the  surgeon.  "  Small-pox— 
and  a  bad  case  from  neglect.  The  man's  half  dead. 
Mr.  Belknap,  this  boat's  crew  must  not  go  back  to 
the  cruiser.  Four  hundred  men  must  not  be  ex- 
posed to  the  infection." 

'-'My  Gawd!"  exclaimed  the  captain;  "and  I 
thought  he  was  shamming." 

The  two  men  who  had  accompanied  the  surgeon 
found  themselves  deserted ;  the  men  from  the  cruis- 
er scattered  and  a  few  crowded  among  the  men  of 
the  ship.  "  No  use,"  yelled  one;  "  they're  all  in  it." 
And  again  they  scattered. 

"  That's  right,"  shouted  the  surgeon.  "  Might  as 
well  flock  together.  We're  all  caught.  Any  symp- 

295 


Sinful    Peck 

toms  lying  around?"  he  asked,  with  a  grim  smile. 
"Anybody  with  chills,  headache,  pain  in  the  back? 
Speak  up." 

A  defaced  and  blemished,  woe-begone  creature 
limped  up  to  him  and  said,  hoarsely:  "That's  just 
the  way  I  feel,  sir.  I  was  second  mate  here,  but  he 
put  me  'fore  the  mast — he  did — damn  him!"- -his 
voice  became  a  shriek — "and  they  tied  me  to  him 
—  him.  Now,  I've  got  it.  I've  got  it  — small- 
pox!" 

They  shrank  away  from  him,  and  he  staggered 
apart  and  leaned  against  the  rail.  Four  others 
stepped  up  in  turn,  all  complaining  of  headache, 
nausea,  shivery  feelings. 

"Peck's  first  symptoms,"  muttered  the  captain. 
"What  a  fool  I  am!" 

"Mr.  Belknap,"  said  the  surgeon,  coming  close, 
"  there's  but  one  thing  to  do.  Put  into  Honolulu 
and  quarantine  this  ship.  Medical  attention  may 
save  most  of  this  crew;  otherwise  she  will  never 
reach  San  Francisco." 

The  pale  ensign  bowed  his  head.  "  We  will  signal 
for  instructions,"  he  said.  A  display  of  bunting  on 
both  ships  finally  brought  the  order:  "Proceed  to 
Honolulu.  I  will  accompany." 

296 


Sinful    Peck 

A  month  later,  Captain  Jackson  sat  by  the  side  of 
a  thin,  bright-eyed  little  man  who  reclined  at  full 
length  on  his  cabin  transom — a  small  skeleton  of 
a  man,  whose  wan  face  was  deeply  pitted  with  little 
red  depressions. 

"And  didn't  you  know  you  had  it,  Peck?"  he 
asked. 

"  Never  dreamed  of  it,  capt'n.  I  suppose  I  caught 
it  on  that  trip  ashore  in  Shanghai,  but,  until  I 
lost  my  senses,  thought  it  was  a  mild  fever.  Who 
caught  it  from  me?" 

The  captain's  face  grew  grave.  "Brown,  first," 
he  said.  "  He  went  to  pieces  and  died  quickly. 
Every  one  of  the  wounded  men  who  bunked  in  the 
carpenter-shop  went  under;  their  strength  wasn't 
equal  to  it.  How  I  escaped  is  a  wonder,  unless  it's 
because  I  was  vaccinated  at  New  York." 

"And  the  gang?"  asked  Sinful. 

"All  showed  more  or  less  of  the  symptoms,  but 
all  have  recovered,  or  will  recover.  None  of  the 
cruiser's  people  caught  it,  but  they  are  still  aboard. 
The  quarantine  won't  be  lifted  for  a  couple  of  weeks. 
Dr.  Fleming  was  invaluable ;  but  who  do  you  think 
spent  most  time  nursing  you,  Peck?" 

"  Don't  know,  captain.     Was  it  you?" 
297 


Sinful    Peck 

"Tosser  Galvin,  Poopdeck  Cahill,  and  Bigpig 
Monahan." 

Sinful  was  silent  a  few  moments,  then  his  face 
hardened. 

"And  they  spent  the  most  time  hazing  me,"  he 
said,  bitterly.  "Will  you  pay  them  off  here,  cap- 
tain?" 

"  No ;  I  couldn't  find  a  crew  to  take  their  places  in 
this  pest-ship.  They  must  finish  the  run  to  'Frisco. 
You  will  go  out  first  mate." 

"And  they  will  have  finished  the  voyage  with 
me." 

He  closed  his  eyes,  and  the  faintest  of  smiles  crept 
over  his  wasted  face. 

The  captain  grinned. 


XXXV 

AWD  now  they  are  at  sea  again  —  the  convales- 
cent crew  of  the  pest-ship,  short  nine  of  their 
number  from  the  terrible  scourge  that  had  quaran- 
tined them  at  Honolulu,  and  from  the  captain  down, 
with  one  exception,  slow  of  speech  and  movement, 
and  unresponsive  to  anything  but  mention  of  home 
—which  magic  word  alone  could  bring  light  to  their 
dead  eyes  and  expression  to  their  faces.  The  ex- 
ception was  little  Sinful  Peck,  the  unsubdued  and 
undaunted,  who  would  smile  satanically  as  he  gave 
orders  to  brace  yards  for  a  head- wind,  and  was  slow 
to  square  in  when  the  ship  could  lay  her  course.  As 
mate,  with  a  gun  in  his  pocket,  he  was  immune  from 
present  criticism  and  reprisal ;  and  if  any  conception 
of  future  danger — when  he  and  his  victims  stood  on 
American  soil — came  to  his  mind,  he  carefully  con- 
cealed it.  Clad  in  a  warm  overcoat — for  the  wintry 
wind  blew  cold  over  the  Pacific — he  stood  near  the 
wheel  one  morning  about  a  week  out  of  Honolulu, 

299 


Sinful    Peck 

and  peered  intently  at  the  horizon  for  a  moment, 
then  forcefully  commanded  the  man  at  the  wheel 
—it  was  Seldom  Helward — to  "keep  her  on  the 
course."  Seldom  answered  with  a  grunt  and  a  sniff, 
but  shifted  the  spokes;  then,  as  though  regretting 
this  slight  acquiescence  to  shipboard  etiquette,  con- 
signed Sinful  to  the  lower  regions  in  fierce,  mut- 
tered tones  interlarded  with  profanity.  Sinful  re- 
sponded with  a  sweet  smile,  and  at  this  moment 
Captain  Jackson  joined  him. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Peck,"  he  said,  as  he  picked  up  the 
binoculars  that  Sinful  had  just  laid  down,  "if  this 
wind  holds  you'll  be  on  the  overland  route  for 
Cleveland  in  a  week,  won't  you?'  Going  to  take 
your  friends  with  you?" 

"What,  captain?  —  those  thirteen  plug-uglies? 
No,  sir;  they  can  ship  again.  We've  made  good 

men  of  tfcenir^-one  of  them  a  passable  second  mate 
***--  -~" 

— and  they  can  easily  get  berths."  He  spoke  loud- 
ly so  that  the  helmsman  could  hear,  and  the  cap- 
tain, joining  in  his  mood,  answered  as  loudly. 

"And  you've  saved  your  ten  thousand  election 
bet,  and  will  rake  in  as  much  more  from  the  Singa- 
pore salvage  job.  I  figured  out  the  probable  shares 
last  night — a  third  to  the  owners,  a  third  of  what's 

300 


Sinful    Peck 

left  to  me,  and  the  rest  to  the  crew — about  ten 
thousand  to  each  of  them." 

"  To  the  legitimate  crew,  you  mean,  sir.  Not  one 
cent  can  go  to  the  mutineers ;  and  it  seems  too  bad, 
after  their  doing  all  the  work."  He  smiled  pity- 
ingly at  Seldom,  who  answered  only  with  a  scowl. 

"  Something  ahead,"  remarked  the  captain,  as  he 
peered  through  the  binoculars. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  noticed  it,  but  couldn't  make  it  out." 

"Try  again;  your  eyes  are  younger.  It  seems 
to  change  its  shape."  Sinful  took  the  glasses  and 
looked;  then  he  said:  "It's  half  hidden  by  that 
haze — and  that  haze  looks  as  though  it  might  be 
fog,  or  perhaps  snow;  it's  cold  enough.  It's  a  ship, 
or  a  bark,  captain,  under  topsails.  She's  wearing. 
Now  she's  hidden." 

The  haze  that  had  enveloped  the  distant  craft 
soon  reached  the  ship,  seeming  to  kill  the  westerly 
air  as  it  came;  but  after  an  hour  of  faint  head- 
wind, there  came  a  chill  breeze  from  the  north, 
which  cleared  the  sky.  And  there,  a  half-mile  to 
the  south,  was  the  strange  craft  —  an  iron  bark, 
with  painted  ports,  stump  royal-masts,  and  other 
marks  of  the  English  build.  Her  courses  were  hang- 
ing in  the  buntlines,  her  topsails  set,  and  all  above 

301 


Sinful    Peck 

them  furled,  with  the  jib  and  flying  jib,  while  the 
spanker  was  reefed.  She  was  under  heavy-weather 
canvas ;  but  she  was  not  under  command— swinging 
slowly  to  the  breeze — and  the  lack  of  all  boats,  with 
the  backed  main  -  yards,  indicated  that  she  was 
deserted — and  deserted  in  a  gale.  Yet  she  stood 
high  out  of  water,  and  seemed  intact  in  hull  and 
rigging. 

"  Get  the  dory  over,  Mr.  Peck,"  said  the  captain, 
"  and  visit  her.  There  may  be  salvage  there.  Rig 
the  lugsail,  and  take  a  couple  of  men  to  pull  in 
case  the  wind  fails." 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Sinful,  cheerily,  "and  we've 
just  the  crew  for  salving."  He  glanced  derisively 
at  Seldom,  who  was  now  relinquishing  the  wheel  to 
his  relief.  Seldom  joined  the  men  at  the  braces, 
and,  when  the  ship  was  hove  to,  assisted  at  clearing 
away  and  lowering  the  boat — a  small  craft  of  the 
dory  type;  and  it  was  noticeable  that  he  cursed 
softly,  but  furiously,  as  he  worked. 

For  his  own  personal  safety  Sinful  chose  one  of 
the  landsmen,  who  said  he  could  pull  an  oar,  and 
Gunner  Meagher,  the  only  able  seaman  aboard 
whom  he  dared  turn  his  back  upon,  for  a  crew; 
and  with  Seldom' s  muttered  injunction,  delivered 

302 


Sinful    Peck 

over  the  rail — "Chuck  him  overboard,  Gunner "- 
as  a  godspeed,  they  shipped  the  mast,  set  the  lug, 
and  sailed  away  for  the  bark.  The  landsman  sat 
in  the  bow,  Sinful  steered,  and  Gunner  sat  amid- 
ships, his  sorrowful  eyes  fixed  upon  the  cheerful 
face  of  Sinful. 

"Peck,"  he  said,  at  last. 

"Mr.  Peck,  if  you  please,"  answered  Sinful, 
sternly. 

"  Peck,  I  said,"  responded  Gunner,  his  voice  rising 
and  deepening.  "  I  have  known  you  since  boyhood 
as  Peck,  and  Peck  you  are,  and  will  be.  Did  you 
hear  what  Helward  said?" 

"I  did." 

"  You  know,  and  he  knows,  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  me  to  attempt — 

"  You  nearly  killed  one  mate  with  your  hands." 

Gunner's  face  flushed  slightly,  and  he  said:  "I 
was  struck,  for  the  first  time  in  years.  I  bitterly 
regretted  it,  and — 

"You  disarmed  an  officer  at  another  time,  and 
headed  a  mutiny." 

"After  that  officer  shot  me  while  defending  you 
from  torture,"  said  Gunner,  warmly  more  sure  of 
his  justification. 

3°3 


Sinful    Peck 

"And  before  I  shot  another  hole  in  you,"  said 
Sinful,  dryly. 

"  I  have  forgiven  you  for  that,  Peck,  for  I  was  in 
the  wrong;  but  it  is  not  of  my  unfortunate  curse 
of  temper  that  I  speak,  but  of  you.  Do  you  know 
the  real  animus  of  Helward's  speech — that  if  you 
should  not  finish  this  voyage  with  Captain  Jack- 
son, no  matter  by  what  foul  play  you  were  pre- 
vented, he  could  collect  from  your  estate  the 
alternate  of  the  bet,  the  ten  thousand  dollars  wa- 
gered?" 

"Yes,  Gunner,  my  son,  he  could,"  said  Sinful, 
composedly.  "It's  all  down  in  black  and  white, 
duly  witnessed." 

"  Knowing  this,  then,  and  having  taken  this  voy- 
age to  save  ten  thousand  dollars,  why  have  you 
sought  our  hatred  ?  Why  have  you  made  revenge- 
ful enemies  of  thirteen  life-long  friends — old  ship- 
mates? Our  only  effort  since  leaving  New  York 
has  been  to  get  clear  of  this  ship  and  back  to  our 
families.  You  have  thwarted  each  plan.  And  in 
return  for  all  this  we  have  refrained  from  striking 
at  your  weakest  point — your  pocket — and  have  al- 
lowed you  to  remain  in  this  ship." 

"  But  you  thumped  the  fat  off  me  on  the  passage 
304 


Sinful    Peck 

out,"  said  Sinful,  airily.  "All  the  rest  is  mere  re- 
prisal, Gunner." 

"  But  why  did  you  crimp  us  at  New  York?  We 
were  your  friends,  down  to  see  you  off — your  guests 
when  you  drugged  us." 

Sinful  grinned  abandonedly.  "You  laughed  too 
much  at  me,  my  joker ;  and  you  drank  more  of  my 
good  wine  than  you  should,  as  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel.  You're  a  good  sailor -man,  Gunner,  but 
you're  not  a  bewildering  success  as  a  sky -pilot. 
It  was  a  practical  joke,  and  the  skipper  would 
have  put  back  and  landed  you  all  if  you  hadn't 
started  a  fight  the  first  thing  and  put  him  on  his 
pride." 

Gunner  was  silent,  and  after  a  moment  or  two 
Sinful  continued : 

"  I  will  have  won  my  bet  in  a  few  days  and  have 
saved  ten  thousand  which  I  could  not  afford  to 
lose  to  Seldom.  I  will  also  have,  when  the  case  is 
settled,  ten  thousand  more,  salvage  money,  which 
was  really  earned  by  you  thirteen  chumps  while  I 
slept  peacefully  in  my  bunk.  For  you  were  pas- 
sengers at  the  time  and  not  entitled  to  salvage. 
He  laughs  best  that  laughs  last,  Gunner,  my 
son." 

20  305 


Sinful    Peck 

Gunner's  eyes  sparkled;  his  face  took  on  a  set, 
unpleasant  expression,  and  Sinful  watched  it  fur- 
tively. 

"Sometimes,  Peck,"  he  said,  at  last,  "I  regret 
having  taken  holy  orders." 

"Don't  regret  it  this  trip,"  responded  Sinful, 
quickly,  "or  I'll  drill  you  full  of  holes.  I  consider 
my  life  threatened." 

No  more  was  said  for  the  present.  The  cockle- 
shell of  a  boat  danced  down  the  intervening  stretch 
of  sea,  and  the  details  of  the  bark  grew  plainer. 
She  was  painted  lead  color  in  the  bends,  and  black 
on  the  bulwarks,  between  which  was  the  white 
stripe  dotted  with  black  squares  to  represent  ports ; 
but  the  paint,  though  seemingly  fresh  laid,  was 
broken  up  in  places  by  great,  rusty  patches.  As 
they  sailed  alongside  they  saw  blisters  surrounding 
these  patches,  and  a  warped  and  wrinkled  appear- 
ance to  the  plates. 

"She's  been  afire,"  said  Sinful,  to  the  air,  for  he 
was  not  looking  at  Gunner;  but  Gunner  answered, 
brokenly : 

"Yes — and,  Peck,  forgive  my  implied  threat  a 
moment  ago.  I  am  a  sorely  tried  man,  and  a  weak 
one." 

306 


Sinful    Peck 

Sinful  looked  at  him ;  there  were  tears  in  Gunner's 
eyes. 

"  It's  all  right,  Gunner,  old  man,"  he  said,  sober- 
ly. "  You  wouldn't  hurt  a  fly.  Shake  hands."  He 
extended  his  hand,  which  Gunner  took.  "  We're  al- 
most home.  You  and  I  can  be  good  friends." 


XXXVI 

THEY  sailed  around  the  stern,  spelling  the  name 
Hurley  Castle,  of  Liverpool,  in  gilt  letters,  and 
ranged  up  on  the  lee  side,  making  fast  to  the  main- 
chains.  As  they  climbed  to  the  rail  they  took  their 
first  look  to  windward — at  the  ship  they  had  left. 
She  had  braced  the  yards  and  was  sailing  down  to 
leeward  to  await  them;  for  behind  her  was  a  gray 
bank  on  the  horizon  with  sure  promise  of  wind. 

There  was  nothing  noticeably  wrong  about  the 
bark's  deck,  except  that  ropes  were  washed  off  the 
pins  and  tangled  about,  and  that  a  strong,  smoky 
smell  pervaded  the  air.  Sinful  darted  into  the 
cabin,  and  returned  with  streaming  eyes. 

"  Pretty  smoky  in  there,  Gunner,"  he  said.  "  Is 
the  deck  hot?  He  stooped  and  felt  with  his  bare 
hand.  "  No,  it  isn't.  Hatches  are  all  battened  down, 
I  see,  and  they've  stopped  up  all  possible  chinks  in 
the  bulkheads  below.  They've  taken  the  log-book 
and  the  ship's  papers — at  least,  I  can't  find  them. 

308 


Sinful    Peck 

There  may,  or  may  not,  be  fire  in  the  hold  here; 
but  it's  surely  going  out,  for  they  wouldn't  have 
quit  unless  things  were  much  hotter.  This  ship 
can  be  saved,  but  we've  no  time  to  lose." 

They  boarded  their  boat,  and  sailed  away  before 
the  increasing  wind  to  where  their  ship  had  again 
hove  to,  and  in  a  short  time  were  aboard.  As  Gun- 
ner fastened  the  boat  astern,  Sinful  reported. 

"  Had  no  time  to  investigate  her  stores,  captain," 
he  said,  "  but  I  can  draw  on  you  for  grub  and  water 
if  necessary.  Give  me  the  thirteen  plugs  and  we'll 
sail  into  'Frisco  in  company." 

"  Can  you  control  them  alone?" 

"I  can  when  awake,  and  I  can  trust  Gunner  as 
mate.  He  and  I  have  made  up." 

"  Call  'em  aft.     Call  all  hands." 

Sinful  called  all  hands,  and  they  came — the  thir- 
teen "plugs,"  the  balance  of  landsmen,  the  cook, 
steward,  carpenter,  and  boatswains. 

"You  thirteen  men  from  Cleveland  will  get  your 
dunnage  ready  at  once,"  said  the  captain,  "to  go 
aboard  that  bark  with  Mr.  Peck  to  take  her  into 
port.  When  you're  ready,  help  the  rest  get  the 
boat  over.  Hurry  up,  for  there's  wind  coming  and 
there's  no  time  to  lose.  Bosuns,  take  the  rest  o'  the 

3°9 


Sinful    Peck 

men  and  hoist  over  one  of  the  forrard  boats.  Bear 
a  hand,  now.  There's  big  salvage  there  for  all  of 
us." 

The  boatswains  answered,  and  scampered  forward 
with  the  detail  at  their  heels ;  but  the  thirteen  men 
from  Cleveland  budged  not  a  step. 

"Captain  Jackson,"  said  Seldom  Helward,  in  his 
harsh,  determined  voice,  "we've  already  talked 
this  matter  over,  and  have  decided  that  if  there's 
any  salvage  earned,  we'll  earn  our  share  by  staying 
aboard  this  ship  we  signed  in — same  as  you  and 
Sinful  and  the  rest  did  off  Singapore." 

"What!"  shouted  the  captain.  "Do  you  refuse 
to  obey  orders?" 

"  We  do,"  said  Seldom.  "  We  refuse  to  leave  this 
ship.  We  can't  get  home  any  quicker  than  by 
staying  right  by  her  now.  And,  officially,  we  pro- 
test against  any  depletion  of  this  crew  by  sending 
others  who  may  be  willing  to  go.  You  left  Hono- 
lulu five  men  short  and  are  amenable  to  the  law 
for  that  neglect.  Also,  you  will  lose  your  insurance 
if  trouble  comes  in  any  form.  We  will  see  to  it." 

"You  damned  sea -lawyer,"  stuttered  the  en- 
raged captain,  "  I  couldn't  get  men  to  sign  in  Hono- 
lulu— in  a  small-pox  ship.  I've  a  good  mind — " 

310 


Sinful    Peck 

"  We  don't  care  for  your  good  mind.  We'll  work 
this  ship  home,  and  that's  all.  And  I'll  remind  Mr. 
Sinful  Peck  there  that  by  the  terms  of  his  wager 
he  is  to  finish  this  voyage  with  you,  or  sacrifice 
more  than  he'll  win  by  salving  that  bark.  I'm  will- 
ing he  should  lose  it,  and  am  sorry  I  didn't  at- 
tend to  it  before  this ;  but  it's  our  safety  we're  con- 
sidering now.  There's  a  gale  coming,  and  half  the 
present  crew  can't  shorten  down.  Neither  can  the 
other  half  handle  that  bark." 

Before  the  captain  could  answer  this,  Sinful 
spoke. 

"Are  you  all  of  one  mind?  You,  Gunner,  will 
you  go  along?" 

"No,  Mr.  Peck,  I  prefer  staying.  That  bark  is 
afire  yet." 

"Oh,  well,"  said  Sinful,  scornfully,  "if  you're 
afraid,  don't  scare  other  folks.  I'll  be  satisfied 
with  the  crowd  forward,  captain,"  he  added.  "  Sup- 
pose I  sound  them?" 

Gunner  looked  troubled,  but  Seldom  spoke  for 
him. 

"It  isn't  Gunner,  you  damned  bantam  rooster, 
that  '11  crow  over  a  man  at  the  wheel;  it's  me.  Go 
and  get  your  salvage,  and  pay  me  the  bet  money." 


Sinful    Peck 

"  How  about  that,  Mr.  Peck?"  asked  the  captain. 
"Will  you  lose?" 

"No,  sir.  I  finish  the  voyage  under  your  com- 
mand, just  the  same." 

The  thirteen  went  forward,  and  Sinful  followed. 
He  talked  a  while  with  the  others  of  the  crew,  then 
returned. 

"They'll  go,  sir,"  he  said;  "they  all  want  a 
change,  and  they  all  need  the  money.  With  the 
seven  landsmen,  the  steward,  and  the  bosuns,  I'll 
have  ten  men.  You'll  have  thirteen,  and  your  second 
mate — Poopdeck  Cahill  can  act  mate  again — he's  a 
navigator,  you  know,  and  any  of  'em  can  cook." 

"All  right,"  answered  the  captain,  with  his  eyes 
on  the  storm  clouds  to  windward.  "Get  your 
dunnage  and  note  down  the  ship's  position,  for 
if  there's  no  chronometer,  and  you  lose  me,  you'll 
have  to  work  by  dead  reckoning.  And  take  a  spare 
set  of  signal-flags,  for  you  may  not  find  any.  I'll 
sail  the  ship  up  a  little,  so  you  won't  have  a  dead 
beat  to  windward  in  the  boat — that  is,  if  my  crew 
don't  refuse  to  work  at  all." 

But  they  did  not  refuse ;  when  the  boat  was  in  the 
water,  manned  by  the  volunteers,  and  dropped  back 
to  the  stern  beside  the  dory  to  wait  for  Sinful,  they 

312 


Sinful    Peck 

braced  the  yards,  and,  as  the  ship  forged  ahead, 
clewed  up  royals  and  top-gallant  sails,  hauled  down 
the  flying- jib,  and  sprang  aloft  to  furl.  When  Sin- 
ful appeared  with  his  dunnage,  every  man  of  the 
thirteen  but  the  newly  appointed  acting  mate, 
Poopdeck  Cahill,  was  in  the  rigging. 

"  Peck,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  watched  the  bark, 
now,  with  her  drift  and  the  ship's  motion,  slowly 
drawing  away  on  the  weather  -  quarter,  "there's 
something  uncanny  about  the  looks  of  that  craft. 
There's  a  little  time  yet ;  it  won't  blow  too  hard  for 
a  couple  of  hours,  and  I'm  going  down  to  her  my- 
self before  I  send  you  aboard." 

"  Why,  captain,  what's  the  necessity?  I  can  take 
her  in." 

"  It's  not  that,  Peck,"  said  the  captain,  looking 
down  at  the  little  man  as  father  might  at  a  son. 
"  But  I'm  responsible,  and — you  saved  my  life  once. 
No  " — his  voice  became  stern  and  determined — "  I'll 
take  the  men  down — now  that  they're  in  the  boat — 
and  come  back  if  everything's  all  right.  You  stand 
on  this  tack  until  the  men  aloft  come  down;  then 
wear,  and  run  back  to  windward,  if  you  can.  Look 
out  for  your  friends.  There  won't  be  a  man  aboard 
besides  the  Cleveland  crowd." 

3*3 


XXXVII 

DESPITE  earnest  protest  from  Sinful,  the  cap- 
tain slid  down  the  painter  into  the  boat,  and 
they  departed,  hoisting  the  sail  and  making  a  fair 
wind  of  the  freshening  breeze.  Sinful  watched  the 
boat,  rising  and  falling  on  the  long,  heaving  seas, 
until  it  reached  the  bark,  now  almost  astern,  and 
then  devoted  his  attention  to  the  men  aloft.  They 
had  furled  the  royals,  but  were  having  trouble  with 
the  top-gallant  sails.  There  were  twelve  of  them— 
four  to  a  mast — with  the  second  mate  at  the  wheel ; 
and  four  men  are  not  enough  for  a  big  ship's  top- 
gallant sail  in  a  blow. 

"Nice  piece  of  damned  foolishness,  this  is," 
growled  Poopdeck;  "look  at  that  coming."  He 
pointed  to  windward,  and  Sinful  looked. 

A  dense  wall  of  gray  was  charging  down  on  the 
ship,  its  upper  edge  blending  into  the  lighter  hue  of 
the  sky,  its  lower  white  with  the  picked-up  spume 
and  spin-drift  of  the  sea-tops. 

3U 


Sinful    Peck 

"Lay  in  off  the  yards,"  yelled  Sinful,  upward. 
"Come  down  from  aloft,  for  your  lives.  Let  the 
canvas  go.  Come  down." 

They  heard  and  obeyed,  sliding  down  by  back- 
stays and  running-gear,  the  last  man  getting  off  the 
mizzen  top -gallant  yard  just  as  the  squall  struck 
the  ship.  The  three  unfurled  sails  whisked  off  to 
leeward  in  ribbons,  the  empty  ship  heeled  far  over 
under  the  impact  of  the  blow,  and  the  flying -jib, 
baglike  at  the  end  of  the  jib-boom,  pulled  her  head 
away  from  the  wind. 

"Hold  your  luff,  Poopdeck,"  yelled  Sinful,  over 
the  noise  of  wind  and  sea,  "  till  we're  ready  to  wear." 

"  Wheel's  hard  down,"  answered  Poopdeck.  "  Cut 
away  that  flying-jib,  and  square  in  now.  She  won't 
come  to  with  that  wind-bag  forrard." 

It  was  no  time  to  dispute  conflicting  authority, 
and  a  man,  at  Sinful' s  order,  went  out  and  relieved 
the  jib  -  boom  of  the  thrashing  head-sail  while  the 
others  squared  in  the  cro'-jack  yards.  By  this  time 
the  ship  was  before  the  wind,  rounding  to  on  the 
other  tack,  and  Sinful,  screaming  his  orders  from 
the  port  alley,  found  time  to  look  at  the  bark.  She 
was  nearly  abeam,  about  a  mile  away  before  the 
wind,  and  under  practically  the  same  canvas  as  was 


Sinful    Peck 

the  ship,  but  going  slower,  from  her  deeper  draft. 
And  up  from  her  forward  end  belched  a  column  of 
smoke. 

"  She's  afire  again,"  he  shouted.  "  Square  in  fore 
and  main  yards,  and  leave  'em  square.  Bring  the 
wind  quarterly,  Poopdeck,"  he  called  to  the  helms- 
man. "  We've  got  to  chase  her." 

He  went  aft  to  the  wheel  and  steadied  the  ship 
to  a  course. 

"The  damned  fools  have  taken  off  the  fore- 
hatch  and  let  the  air  in,"  said  Poopdeck,  as  he 
ground  the  wheel  over.  "  That's  why  they're  run- 
ning." 

"  But  they've  put  it  on  again,"  answered  Sinful; 
"  there's  no  more  smoke." 

This  could  be  seen,  also  that  the  bark's  foreyaras 
were  being  braced  to  starboard. 

"  They're  going  to  heave  her  to  again,"  said  Poop- 
deck. 

"  Right.  We'll  brace  up  sharp  and  keep  to  wind- 
ward of  her." 

"What  for?"  demanded  Poopdeck.  "Go  to  loo- 
ward  and  heave  to  with  a  light  ship.  D'you  want 
to  drift  down  upon  her?" 

"We'll  heave  to  to  windward  of  her,"  answered 
316 


Sinful    Peck 

Sinful,  with  sparkling  eyes;  " and  you'll  do  as  I  say. 
I'm  in  charge  here." 

"And  I'm  next  in  charge  by  the  same  authority, 
with  better  men  than  you  behind  me.  Come  aft — ' ' 

Poopdeck  had  lifted  his  voice  to  hail  the  men 
forward,  but  Sinful' s  pistol,  shoved  into  his  face, 
silenced  the  speech. 

"Not  one  word,"  he  said,  sharply.  "Whatever 
your  position,  you'll  do  as  I  say.  You'll  steer  this 
ship  till  I  have  you  relieved,  and  you'll  steer  as  I 
tell  you  to." 

Poopdeck,  deadly  pale,  though  probably  not 
through  fear,  looked  calmly  into  the  muzzle  and 
said  nothing.  Sinful  lowered  it,  and,  with  a  threat- 
ening glance  over  his  shoulder,  went  forward  in 
the  alley  and  ordered  yards  braced  sharply  to  star- 
board. The  men,  unaware  of  the  friction,  obeyed 
willingly,  and  when  Sinful  came  aft  and  said,  tersely, 
"  By  the  wind  with  a  good  full,"  Poopdeck  answered 
respectfully  and  shifted  the  wheel,  but  his  face 
was  still  pale. 

The  big,  light  ship  tossed  over  the  seas  like  an 
egg-shell,  making  under  her  topsails  fully  three 
points  leeway,  but  still  shaping  a  course  that  would 
take  her  to  windward  of  the  bark,  now  braced  sharp 


Sinful    Peck 

on  the  same  tack.  The  first  violence  of  the  squall 
had  subsided,  yet  the  gale  was  steadily  increasing, 
and  would  shortly  demand  further  lessening  of  can- 
vas; but  Sinful,  anxiously  watching  for  signs  or 
signals,  gave  no  thought  of  the  weather  until  the 
ship  had  sailed  past  the  bark  to  a  position  from 
which  she  could  not  drift  down  on  her.  Then  he 
sang  out,  "Relieve  the  wheel,"  and  when  Gunner 
Meagher  came  aft  and  took  the  spokes,  he  said  to 
the  humiliated  Poopdeck:  "Take  in  the  three  up- 
per topsails,  one  at  a  time,  and  put  a  reef  in  the 
spanker." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  Poopdeck.  "  By  the  wind 
with  a  good  full,  Gunner,"  he  added,  to  his  suc- 
cessor at  the  wheel;  then  he  pounced  upon  Sinful 
and  bore  him  to  the  deck. 

"Damn  you,"  he  said.  "Threaten  me  at  the 
wheel,  will  you?" 

Sinful  was  caught  unawares.  Struggle  as  he 
might,  with  the  powerful  Poopdeck' s  fingers  at  his 
throat  he  was  helpless,  and  soon  his  pistol  left  his 
pocket  and  went  into  that  of  his  assailant ;  then  he 
was  dragged,  in  spite  of  Gunner's  protesting  voice, 
to  the  lee-quarter  bitt  and  lashed  to  it,  hand  and 
foot,  with  the  end  of  the  spanker-sheet. 

318 


Sinful    Peck 

"Shut  up,  Gunner,"  said  Poopdeck,  as  he  arose 
and  went  forward.  "  You're  out  of  this." 

He  was  back  before  Sinful  had  recovered  power 
to  breathe  normally,  and  he  said,  dispassionately,  to 
the  prostrate  little  man :  "  Every  man  of  the  crowd 
decides  that  the  proper  thing  is  to  land  you  on  the 
Farallones,  so  that  you  will  not  finish  the  voyage 
either  in  this  ship  or  with  Captain  Jackson,  and  will 
in  consequence  lose  your  bet.  Gunner,"  he  added, 
to  the  helmsman,  "we're  going  on  to  'Frisco  with- 
out the  skipper.  Give  her  a  rapping  good  full,  and 
get  away  from  that  bark." 

Gunner  answered,  and  obeyed ;  the  ship  paid  off 
and  sailed  faster.  Poopdeck  went  forward  again, 
and  when  he  had  disappeared  down  the  steps  Gun- 
ner sprang  to  the  taffrail  and  looked  over;  then 
he  cast  off  Sinful's  bonds  and  whispered:  "  Into  the 
dory  with  you.  She's  half  full,  but  bail  her  out  and 
join  the  skipper  in  the  bark.  God  forgive  me  if  I'm 
wrong."  Then  he  gripped  the  whirling  spokes  and 
ground  the  wheel  up. 

With  a  fervent  "Thank  you,  Gunner,"  Sinful 
scrambled  over  the  taffrail  and  slid  down  the 
painter  to  the  boat;  then,  after  assuring  himself 
that  she  was  not  too  waterlogged  to  float  him,  he 


Sinful    Peck 

cut  the  painter.  The  ship  forged  ahead;  the  boat 
drifted  in  the  trough;  and  when  a  hundred  feet 
separated  the  two,  he  heard  Gunner's  self-saving 
yell  to  the  rest  that  the  prisoner  had  escaped.  He 
saw  their  heads  over  the  rail  watching  him,  but  also 
saw  that  the  three  upper  topsails  were  lowered  to 
the  caps,  and  that  the  ship  was  not  in  condition  for 
a  pursuit.  With  his  sou'wester  he  began  baling  the 
boat,  and  when  it  was  fairly  free  of  water  he  shipped 
the  mast  and  set  the  lug  with  a  reef  in  it. 

The  bark  lay  about  a  half-mile  to  the  west  now, 
heading  towards  him  on  the  port  tack,  and  heav- 
ing to  leeward  with  but  little  headway.  As  Sinful 
watched  he  saw  a  string  of  small  flags  going  aloft 
to  the  bark's  mizzen  peak. 

"C.  K.  P.J.,"  said  Sinful  to  himself,  as  he  recog- 
nized the  letters.  Not  having  the  code-book  with 
him,  he  could  not  read  the  message ;  but  it  was  prob- 
ably an  order  or  a  protest  to  the  big  ship  skimming 
away,  with  yards  squared  now,  to  the  southward. 
He  looked  at  her  as  he  steered,  but  there  was  no 
answering  signal.  When  again  he  looked  at  the 
bark  she  was  swinging  off  before  the  wind ;  she  was 
pursuing  the  ship. 

320 


XXXVIII 

HAD  she  remained  hove  to,  Sinful's  little  craft, 
close  hauled  on  the  opposite  tack,  would  have 
intercepted  her  in  ten  minutes,  or  at  least  have 
drawn  near  enough  to  be  seen ;  but  in  running  be- 
fore that  growing  gale  it  stood  as  little  chance  of 
catching  the  bigger  bark  as  did  the  bark  of  catch- 
ing the  still  bigger  and  lighter  ship.  However,  Sin- 
ful squared  away  to  a  nearly  parallel  course,  and 
occasionally,  at  the  risk  of  capsizing,  hauled  aft 
his  sheet  in  the  hope  that  larger  showing  of  the  sail 
would  make  it  visible ;  but  no  sign  came  from  the 
bark,  and  she  slowly  drew  ahead,  while  the  ship  far 
in  the  van  grew  small  on  the  horizon. 

In  an  hour  the  bark  was  a  couple  of  miles  away, 
and  Sinful  was  steering  in  her  wake,  his  only  hope 
now  being  that  the  increasing  gale  would  force  Cap- 
tain Jackson  to  again  heave  to ;  but  such  a  contin- 
gency would  bring  added  menace  to  the  boat,  for 
how  could  she  ride  a  sea  that  would  threaten  a  big 
21  321 


Sinful    Peck 

bark?  Occasionally  a  comber  climbed  over  the 
stern  and  gave  him  work  at  baling.  The  spin-drift 
pelted  him,  and,  wet  to  the  skin  and  chilled  to  the 
bone,  he  welcomed  the  exercise. 

The  day  wore  on ;  the  sky  overhead  darkened,  and 
he  could  barely  see  through  the  smudge  a  dim  spot 
ahead,  after  which  he  was  steering.  His  arms  ached 
with  the  jerking  of  the  tiller  and  the  labor  of  baling 
with  a  limp  sou'wester.  Hunger  assailed  him,  and, 
drenched  though  he  was,  thirst  added  its  torment. 
Every  breaking  sea  was  a  fresh  enemy  seeking  his 
life,  and  the  wind,  rushing  past  him,  purred  a  dismal 
song  of  hatred  on  the  vibrating  leech  of  his  sail. 

The  dim  spot  ahead  grew  dimmer  with  the  dark- 
ening of  the  sky  above.  Every  third  sea  flooded 
his  boat.  The  singing  fragment  of  sail  could  not 
drive  his  cockle-shell  fast  enough  to  escape  them. 
He  would  give  up  the  pursuit,  for  his  strength  was 
leaving  him.  He  would  bind  the  oars  together 
with  unlaid  strands  of  the  stern  -  fast,  and  make 
a  sea-anchor  with  the  halyards  for  a  cable — for  the 
painter  was  cut  away — and  ride  out  the  gale,  bows 
to  the  sea. 

He  prepared  his  oars,  and  was  watching  for  an 
easy  sea  on  which  to  round  to,  when  a  sudden  glare 

322 


Sinful    Peck 

of  light  drew  his  glance  ahead.  He  really  saw  but 
the  last  of  it— a  fading,  dimming  effulgence,  which 
left  blacker  darkness.  Then  up  against  the  gale 
came  a  dull,  thunder  -  like  sound,  which  for  a  frac- 
tion of  a  second  bellied  his  sail  back  against  the 
pressure  of  the  wind.  The  bark  had  blown  up.  The 
smouldering  fire,  revived  by  the  admission  of  air 
through  the  opened  forehatch,  had  reached  an 
explosive  part  of  her  cargo — powder,  or  dynam- 
ite. This  he  reasoned  out  in  a  supreme  effort  of 
benumbed  faculties,  and  the  ultimate  conclusion 
was  that  he  himself,  by  his  hurry,  his  bravado, 
and  cupidity,  had  arranged  the  death  of  elev- 
en human  beings,  one  of  whom  was  his  friend — 
the  captain  that  had  taken  his  place  for  love  of 
him. 

He  had  no  particular  right  to  live.  He  would  go  "* 
on,  and  if  he  chanced  to  find  a  man  afloat,  he  would 
give  him  the  chance  of  life  which  he  possessed — the 
possibility  that  the  men  of  his  town  had  seen  the 
explosion  and  would  try  to  beat  back.  For  they 
were  merciful  men ;  they  had  been  merciful  to  him, 
whom  they  hated. 

Baling,  and  steering  by  the  pressure  of  the  wind, 
changing  hands  at  the  tiller  as  the  pain  of  fatigue 

323 


Sinful    Peck 

compelled  him,  half  crazed  with  the  horror  of  the 
present  and  past,  he  went  on  in  the  darkness,  and  in 
three  hours  was  among  wreckage,  some  of  which  he 
ran  into.  He  sang  out ;  then  realizing  that  he  must 
not  get  too  far  to  leeward,  rounded  to  on  the  top  of 
a  sea,  lowered  his  sail,  and  threw  out  the  oars  at  the 
end  of  the  halyards.  Baling  hard,  for  the  boat  had 
nearly  filled,  he  called  at  intervals,  and  in  time  was 
answered  by  a  voice. 

"Help!"  it  said.  "Help!  Where  are  you?  I 
can't  see." 

It  came  from  astern,  and  he  hailed  again.  The 
answering  accents  were  recognizable.  It  was  the 
captain's  voice.  He  pulled  in  his  sea  -  anchor  and 
drifted  down,  hailing  the  while,  until  his  boat  struck 
a  white  wheel-box  cover  on  which  was  a  groaning, 
wheezing  man.  Throwing  out  the  sea-anchor  again, 
he  pulled  him  in  and  laid  him,  limp  and  helpless,  in 
the  stern-sheets. 

"  Are  you  hurt  badly,  captain  ?' '  he  asked.  "  What 
happened?  I  saw  the  explosion." 

"  Is  it  you,  Peck  ?  Is  it  you  ?  Where  are  the  rest  ? 
Where  is  the  ship?" 

"Twenty  miles  to  looward  by  this  time.  They 
took  charge  again,  and  meant  to  land  me  on  the 

324 


Sinful    Peck 

Farallones,  but  I  got  away  in  the  dory.  Been 
chasing  you  all  day.  Where  are  you  hurt?" 

"  I'm  stone  blind,  Peck.  My  eyes  are  burned  out. 
Oh,  my  God,  what  pain!  And  my  back  is  broken. 
I  can  feel  nothing  below  the  middle.  There  was 
fire  in  the  hold,  and  powder,  I  suppose." 

"The  boys  '11  beat  back,  captain.  They  won't 
leave  us  here.  I  know  them." 

"  No,  they  will  not,  Peck.  It  '11  make  no  differ- 
ence to  me.  I  won't  last  many  hours.  I'm  think- 
ing now  of  you.  They  can't  beat  a  light  ship  to 
windward  in  a  blow.  It  '11  be  three  days  at  least 
before  they  could  get  here.  I'll  be  dead — you  half 
starved.  Go  on  to  the  east.  You'll  be  picked  up. 
The  closer  to  'Frisco  the  more  craft  you  will  meet. 
You  can  win  your  bet  if  you  finish  the  voyage  with 
me,  dead." 

"I'm  not  thinking  of  that  now,  captain,"  said 
Sinful,  brokenly. 

"  Think  of  it — keep  thinking  of  it.  You  are  poor, 
I  know,  or  you  would  not  have  shipped  'fore  the 
mast  to  save  paying  your  bet  in  cash.  The  Singa- 
pore salvage  will  be  settled  in  Liverpool,  where  that 
steamer  belonged.  You  will  be  the  only  man  alive 
entitled  to  it.  Apply  for  it.  The  English  consul 

325 


Sinful    Peck 

at  Singapore  has  all  the  documents.  But,  above 
all,  Peck — win  your  bet." 

Sinful  did  not  answer  for  a  time,  then  he  asked : 
"Were  there  any  others  besides  yourself,  captain? 
Did  you  hear  any  calls?" 

"  Not  one.  I  had  the  wheel  while  all  hands  were 
at  the  weather  main-brace  amidships.  They  were 
all  killed  instantly,  and  I  was  blown  overboard.  Go 
on  to  the  east,  Peck.  Take  my  body  into  'Frisco. 
Finish  the  voyage  with  me,  as  I  order  you.  It  is 
my  last  order  as  your  captain.  Win  your  bet." 

And  it  was  his  last  word.  He  died  in  an  hour, 
yet,  in  Sinful's  unquiet  mind,  he  spoke  often  during 
the  long  night  while  the  boat  rode  at  the  sea-anchor. 
He  would  rise  and  stand  erect,  pointing  to  the  east, 
and  uttering  the  order:  " Finish  the  voyage  with  me. 
Win  your  bet." 

With  the  coming  of  daylight  he  spoke  no  more, 
and  Sinful  dragged  him  forward,  pulled  in  the  oars, 
and  set  the  storm-reefed  lug  to  the  gale.  There  was 
neither  sail  nor  smoke  on  the  gray  waste  of  heaving 
sea,  and,  alone  with  the  dead  and  his  thoughts,  he 
sailed  towards  the  rising  sun.  All  day  he  sailed  and 
starved  and  thirsted,  and,  as  darkness  came  down, 
listened  again  to  the  dead  man's  admonishing. 

326 


Sinful    Peck 

After  a  while  he  answered  and  argued,  questioning 
irritably,  and  presenting  strong  reasons  for  pulling 
out  the  bottom  plug  as  the  best  solution  of  the 
problem.  This  the  dead  man  would  not  agree  to. 
Ever  was  his  concluding  command:  "Finish  the 
voyage  with  me.  Win  your  bet." 

On  the  morning  following  the  second  night  Sinful' s 
hair  had  turned  gray,  and  he  had  become  garrulous, 
doing  most  of  the  talking,  and  only  at  long  intervals 
answering  the  commands  of  the  dead  man.  On  the 
third  night,  however,  they  were  more  sociable.  The 
captain  sat  beside  him  and  helped  him  steer,  and 
in  oft-repeated  sentences  impressed  him  with  the 
wisdom  of  his  plan — to  finish  the  voyage,  and  to 
win  the  bet. 

In  the  morning  Sinful  was  converted  to  the  cap- 
tain's way  of  thinking,  and  the  captain  had  ceased 
to  admonish.  He  lay  quiet  in  the  bows,  with  his 
head  raised  on  a  thwart,  and  his  gray  eyes  fixed 
upon  Sinful's  face  with  an  approving  stare.  But 
Sinful's  concessions  came  forth  in  shrieks.  He 
screamed  and  yelped  his  earnest  intention  to  finish 
the  voyage  with  Captain  Jackson — to  win  his  bet 
and  save  the  money  that  he  needed.  And  his  hair 
was  white,  and  his  face  the  face  of  a  death's-head. 

327 


XXXIX 

A  FORE -AND -AFT  rigged  vessel  of  any  size 
will,  when  close-hauled  on  the  wind,  in  smooth 
water,  head  within  four  points,  or  forty-five  de- 
grees, of  it.  A  square-rigged  vessel  will  only  head 
within  six  points,  or  about  sixty-seven  degrees,  of 
the  wind.  Leeway,  or  side  slip,  is  the  same  in  both 
types — about  a  half-point  in  a  whole  sail  breeze, 
with  speed  at  the  maximum ;  and  it  increases  as  sail 
is  shortened  in  a  storm,  until,  with  but  a  rag  show- 
ing to  keep  her  head  to  the  sea,  and  speed  reduced 
to  nothing,  the  leeway  is  the  only  motion  possessed 
by  the  vessel.  It  is  a  side,  or  quarterly,  drift,  added 
to  by  the  heave  of  the  sea ;  and  this  form  of  motion 
is  reached  sooner  in  a  light  ship  than  in  one  loaded, 
or  ballasted,  to  her  bearings— also,  when  reached, 
is  faster  by  reason  of  the  greater  surface  exposed 
to  the  wind  and  the  lesser  hold  on  the  water. 
Thus  it  was  that  Sinful  Peck's  little  boat,  fore-and- 
aft  rigged  and  ballasted  to  a  proportionate  load- 

328 


Sinful    Peck 

line  by  her  dead  and  living  crew,  could  make  in 
that  northerly  blow  a  course  over  the  bottom  of 
about  east  by  north,  while  the  big,  empty  ship, 
high  out  of  water  and  with  her  propelling  surface 
of  canvas  reduced  to  main  spencer  and  lower  miz- 
zen  topsail,  which  just  sufficed  to  keep  her  out  of 
the  trough,  was  thrown  by  wind  and  sea  in  a  south- 
erly direction  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  miles  or 
more  a  day.  For,  though  the  runaway  crew  had 
braced  sharp  on  seeing  the  explosion,  and  thrown 
the  ship  nearly  on  her  beam-ends  in  the  effort  to 
beat  back,  they  were  soon  forced  to  shorten  down 
—to  think  of  the  ship  and  themselves. 

But  there  were  bad  consciences  among  them — 
twelve  of  them,  not  counting  that  of  the  innocent 
though  grieving  Gunner;  and  before  the  gale  blew 
out  they  had  damned  themselves,  individually  and 
collectively,  as  fools,  thieves,  murderers,  pirates, 
mutineers,  sons  of  guns,  and  sons  of  sea-cooks;  but 
nothing  availed  to  settle  their  minds — to  remove 
from  the  situation  the  fact  that  they  had  disobeyed 
the  captain's  signal,  and  run  away  from  a  distressed 
ship  seeking  assistance.  This  was  what  they  had 
done,  even  though  the  signal  "C.  K.  P.  J." — an 
order  to  heave  to — had  flown  until  out  of  sight,  un- 

329 


Sinful    Peck 

supplemented  by  explanations  of  danger  from  fire. 
Though  originally  shanghaied,  and  deeply  wronged 
by  the  captain  and  Sinful  Peck,  yet  they  were  now 
signed  sailors  of  the  ship,  criminally  disobedient  and 
revengeful,  whose  animosity  towards  Sinful  had 
forced  him  into  an  open  boat  in  a  gale  which  surely 
had  drowned  him  before  he  could  reach  the  bark, 
and  whose  disobedience  of  legitimate  orders  had 
resulted  in  the  death  of  eleven  others.  Thus  they 
condemned  themselves,  and  not  until  the  ship  was 
beating  back  under  whole  sail,  with  a  new  flying- 
jib,  did  they  come  down  to  practical  consideration 
of  the  future.  The  shortage  of  crew  prior  to  their 
leaving  Honolulu  was  known  to  the  authorities,  but 
what  explanation  could  be  given  at  San  Francisco 
for  the  loss  of  the  captain,  the  mate,  the  steward,  the 
two  boatswains,  and  seven  of  the  crew  ?  They  dis- 
cussed it  noisily,  profanely,  yet  sincerely,  while  they 
smoked  their  pipes  on  the  weather  side  of  the  poop. 
Many  suggestions  were  advanced.  To  swear  sol- 
emnly that  the  missing  ones  were  washed  overboard 
in  the  gale  was  abandoned  because  of  the  bad  repu- 
tations they  had  earned  in  their  voyage  round  the 
world;  to  scuttle,  fire,  or  beach  the  ship,  land  in 
the  boats,  with  a  tale  of  shipwreck  and  death,  and 

33° 


Sinful    Peck 

later  to  indemnify  the  owners,  was  overruled  by 
some  who  saw  no  reason  for  destroying  a  ship 
just  to  pay  for  her,  leaving  the  point  at  issue — their 
constructive  manslaughter — unprotected.  To  tell 
the  truth  about  the  matter  in  all  but  their  disobedi- 
ence of  the  signal,  stating  that  the  bark  had  blown 
up  before  they  had  taken  charge,  seemed  a  plausi- 
ble solution  of  the  difficulty,  and  met  unanimous 
approval;  but  against  this  was  the  possibility  that 
survivors  rescued  by  other  craft  would  rise  up  to 
refute  them ;  and  even  now  they  were  beating  back 
to  pick  up  any  possible  survivors  that  they  could 
find.  The  absence  of  the  captain  and  first  mate  at 
the  same  time  could  be  accounted  for  by  openly 
admitting  the  murder  of  Sinful — an  onus  that  Sel- 
dom avowed  his  willingness  to  bear  alone ;  but  this 
was  vetoed  by  the  conscientious  Gunner  Meagher, 
who  emerged  from  the  cabin  companion  in  time  to 
hear  it. 

"I  tell  you,"  he  declaimed,  vehemently,  "that  I 
will  be  a  party  to  no  lying.  I  will  not  accuse  my- 
self and  the  rest  of  you  to  the  authorities,  but  if 
questioned  I  will  tell  the  truth.  And,  Seldom,"  he 
said,  to  the  cross-grained  old  fellow,  "  you  are  unjust 
in  your  hatred  of  Peck.  He  was  a  good,  forgiving 

33* 


Sinful    Peck 

man.  Listen  to  this,  which  I  found  among  his  ef- 
fects." He  showed  them  a  folded  piece  of  paper, 
then  read: 

"Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  James  COIN- 
land  Peck,  of  Cleveland,  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  for  and  in 
consideration  of  value  received,  the  receipt  of  which  is 
hereby  confessed,  do  hereby  grant,  bargain,  remise,  con- 
vey, release,  and  quit  -  claim  unto  the  men  known  as 
Seldom  Helward,  Bigpig  Monahan,  Poopdeck  Cahill, 
Gunner  Meagher,  Tosser  Galvin,  Shiner  O'Toole,  Jump 
Black,  Sorry  Welch,  Ghost  O'Brien,  General  Lannigan, 
Moccassey  Gill,  Turkey  Twain,  and  Yampaw  Gallegher, 
of  Cleveland,  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  at  this  date  serving 

as  seamen  on  board  the  American  ship  ,  of  New 

York,  all  the  right,  title,  interest,  claim,  or  demand  what- 
soever I  may  have  acquired  in,  through,  or  by  any  con- 
struction of  maritime  law,  in  the  salvage  of  money  from 
the  English  steamer  —  — ,  wrecked  on  a  reef  of  the  St. 
Esprit  Islands  on  the  twentieth  day  of  June,  1898,  which 
money  is  reputed  to  be  of  the  amount  of  four  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 

"Witness  my  hand  and  seal,  this  twenty-fifth  day  of 
July,  A.  D.,  1898. 

"JAMES  CORLAND  PECK." 

"The  day  we  came  aboard  in  Singapore,"  ex- 
claimed Poopdeck. 

"What's  it  amount  to,  anyhow?"  said  Seldom. 
332 


Sinful    Peck 

"  No  one  here  '11  put  in  a  claim  for  that  salvage,  I'll 
warrant." 

"  But,  Seldom,"  said  Gunner,  gently — "of  course 
not.  We  cannot  court  investigation.  Yet,  now 
that  in  all  probability  Sinful  is  dead,  will  you  still 
remain  unforgiving  ?  Will  you  demand  that  money 
from  his  widow  because  death  prevents  him  from 
finishing  the  voyage?" 

"Will  I?"  growled  Seldom.  "You  can  bet  your 
bottom  dollar  I  will.  Why  shouldn't  I  ?  He's  had 
every  chance,  and  has  never  weakened."  He 
glared  around  at  the  group,  but  found  little  of  ap- 
proval in  the  sober  faces  of  the  others. 

There  was  no  further  discussion  of  future  compli- 
cations. They  sailed  north,  watching  for  wreckage, 
and  finding  no  sign  of  survivors  after  a  three-days' 
cruise  in  the  vicinity  of  the  spot  where  the  bark 
blew  up,  shaped  a  course  for  San  Francisco,  and 
reached  soundings  at  the  beginning  of  a  howling 
gale  from  the  southwest. 

Knowing  the  danger  of  a  lee  shore  to  an  empty 
ship,  Poopdeck  put  her  on  the  port  tack,  under  all 
the  sail  that  she  would  carry,  to  await  a  landfall, 
or  some  index  of  his  position ;  but  it  was  not  until 
night  had  fallen  and  the  three  top-gallant  sails  had 

333 


Sinful    Peck 

gone  to  ribbons  that  he  made  out  far  to  the  north- 
ward the  twinkle  of  a  flashing  white  light. 

"Southeast  Farallone,  sure  enough,"  he  said  to 
Seldom,  who  had  the  wheel.  "  Now  there's  no  use 
bending  new  to' -gallant  sails  for  a  thirty-mile  run 
dead  'fore  the  wind.  Wha'  do  you  think?" 

"Think?"  said  Seldom.  "Why,  if  a  man  can 
make  the  Buffalo  breakwater  he  ought  to  hit  the 
Golden  Gate.  Any  pilot  or  tug-boats  out  in  this, 
d'ye  think?" 

"  Hardly  tugs,  and  I  wouldn't  back  yards  in  this 
for  a  pilot.  It's  dead  easy.  The  light-ship  isn't 
more  than  twenty  miles  in  from  us.  We  can  pick 
it  up  in  a  couple  of  hours.  Let's  see  what  the  rest 
say." 

He  called  a  council  at  the  mizzen  hatch  and 
stated  the  case.  A  northeasterly  course  would  soon 
show  them  the  light-ship,  from  which  a  northeast 
three  -  quarters  east  magnetic  course  would  take 
them  straight  in  past  Fort  Point  Light.  The  rest 
was  easy;  they  could  drop  anchor  off  the  city  and 
be  in  their  bunks  before  midnight. 

"  And  in  jail  before  breakfast,"  broke  in  one. 

"  We'll  consider  that  next,"  continued  Poopdeck. 
"  I've  been  thinking  about  it.  Now,  as  for  the 

334 


Sinful    Peck 

other  plan.  It's  orthodox  and  ship-shape  on  salt 
water  to  keep  off  a  lee  shore  in  a  blow  and  make 
port  in  a  slant  wind;  and  if  Jackson  was  here  he'd 
wait  until  this  blows  out  and  risk  piling  up  on  the 
beach.  But  we  have  a  lee  shore  all  round  us  on  the 
Lakes,  and  are  used  to  hitting  a  hole  in  the  wall,  so, 
even  with  this  square  -  rigged  ballahoo,  I  think  we 
can  sneak  in.  The  barometer's  way  down,  and  it's 
blowing  harder  every  minute.  What  do  you  think? 
Take  it  off  my  shoulders." 

They  willingly,  and  noisily,  took  it  on  their  own. 
What  was  the  use  of  drifting  sideways  into  port 
when  they  could  sail  in  head  first?  What  did  salt- 
water skippers  know,  anyhow  ?  Who  wanted  to 
pound  up  and  down  all  night  with  the  best  harbor 
in  the  world  dead  under  the  lee?  They  would 
square  in  the  yards  when  Seldom  put  the  wheel  up. 


XL 


"A  LL  right;  but  hold  on,"  said  Poopdeck,  in  a 
/~\  voice  strangely  harsh  for  him ;  and,  as  he  stood 
in  the  light  streaming  from  the  forward  companion, 
there  seemed  a  rigid  enlargement  of  his  figure — a 
stiffening  of  the  joints,  and  a  menacing  hunch  to  his 
shoulders.  "We  will  retrospect  a  little.  We  left 
Cleveland  nearly  a  year  ago,  fourteen  strong.  One 
of  us  we  ostracized  and  banished  from  fellowship, 
leaving  but  thirteen  —  an  unlucky  number.  We 
have  been  unlucky — very  unlucky — and  it  is  well 
that  we  change  our  number  before  our  last  play 
in  the  game.  The  fourteenth  man  is  dead,  and 
cannot  join  us;  but  we  can  get  rid  of  another,  and 
make  it  twelve.  Gunner  Meagher,  stand  forth." 

"What!"  exclaimed  Gunner. 

"Stand  forth,  Terrence  Meagher,"  thundered 
Poopdeck,  drawing  a  pistol  and  levelling  it  at  the 
amazed  Gunner,  "or  I'll  send  you  unprepared  to 
your  God . ' '  Gunner  stepped  forward .  ' '  Make  your 

336 


Sinful    Peck 

peace  with  Him  in  the  short  time  left  you.  Moc- 
cassey  Gill  and  Tosser  Galvin,  hold  him  tight.  Big- 
pig  Monahan,  you  make  a  hangman's  noose  in  the 
end  of  the  lee  inner  main  buntline,  and  you,  Sorry 
Welch,  go  aloft  and  overhaul  the  bight  down  to  the 
deck." 

The  thought  behind  Poopdeck's  words  may  or 
may  not  have  lain  dormant  in  the  minds  of  all. 
Certain  it  is,  however,  nine  men  out  of  ten  will 
do  as  they  are  told,  if  told  suddenly  and  sharply, 
and  the  alacrity  with  which  Tosser  and  Moccassey 
seized  and  throttled  the  much-beloved  Gunner,  and 
with  which  Bigpig  sprang  to  the  buntline  and  Sorry 
to  the  rigging,  would  have  gratified  a  more  exacting 
second  mate  than  Poopdeck.  The  rest  yelled  ap- 
proval, and  one  of  them  found  a  remembered  slush- 
bucket  under  the  main  fife-rail  and  greased  the 
noose  which  Bigpig  made. 

"What  do  you  mean  —  what  —  let  go!  Boys, 
what  would  you  do?"  stuttered  Gunner,  as  they 
rushed  him  forward. 

"  Run  him  up,"  roared  Poopdeck,  following  with 
the  pistol.  "  Damn  an  informer,  anyhow — to  hell 
with  a  man  that  '11  give  away  his  friends.  Put  it 
'round  his  neck,  boys — knot  under  the  left  ear  so 

337 


Sinful    Peck 

as  to  break  his  neck  at  once.  Up  with  him  now; 
bowse  him  aloft  and  leave  him  there." 

The  greased  noose  silenced  further  protest  from 
Gunner.  They  manned  the  bight  of  the  buntline, 
hooked  it  into  a  stanchion  sheave  when  they  had 
slack  enough,  and  lifted  Gunner  from  the  deck ;  he 
swung  over  the  rail — for  the  ship  was  heeling  to  the 
storm — and  then  went  aloft  in  lessening  curves,  up 
—up — slowly  and  jerkily  to  the  yard.  But  they 
had  not  bound  his  hands,  and  these  hands  gripped 
the  rope  above  the  noose,  which  Poopdeck  now 
seemed  to  notice. 

"Lower  him  down,"  he  shouted.  "Lower  him 
down  and  tie  his  hands  behind  his  back.  He's  hold- 
ing his  weight.  We  must  break  his  neck  and  be 
done  with  him." 

Down  came  Gunner,  landing  in  a  sprawl  on  the 
deck ;  then,  tearing  the  noose  from  his  neck,  he  arose, 
the  berserk  strong  within  him,  and  struck  right  and 
left  with  his  fists  while  he  growled  and  snarled  in- 
coherently; but  the  powerful  Bigpig,  Tosser,  and 
Moccassey  bore  him  to  the  deck  and  pinioned  him 
until  others  had  brought  spun-yarn  to  bind  him; 
then,  still  struggling,  he  was  bound,  haltered,  and 
lifted  again.  But  before  he  had  gone  three  feet  up- 

338 


Sinful    Peck 

ward  the  watchful  Poopdeck  ordered  him  down,  as 
the  knot  was  improperly  adjusted.  Gunner  lay 
quiet  where  they  landed  him,  and  Poopdeck  loos- 
ened the  stricture  on  his  throat.  Gunner  began  to 
breathe  in  hoarse  sobs. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Poopdeck,  standing  up. 
"What's  the  use  of  bothering?  Why  not  run  him 
up  and  let  him  strangle?" 

' '  Mercy !' '  groaned  the  prostrate  man.  ' '  Mercy- 
have  mercy  upon  me !" 

The  berserk  was  gone  from  him. 

"  What !"  answered  Poopdeck,  derisively ; "  mercy 
upon  you,  who  would  have  no  mercy  upon  us — who 
would  inform  upon  us  because  we  unwittingly  were 
responsible  for  the  loss  of  those  men?" 

"I  would  not!  I  will  not!  I  swear  I  will  not! 
Don't  murder  me!" 

''Might  as  well  make  sure,"  replied  Poopdeck, 
sternly.  "  We  have  twelve  to  our  debit  now. 
Might  as  well  make  it  thirteen." 

"  Don't,  I  beg  of  you !  I  have  done  you  no  harm. 
I  will  do  you  no  harm." 

"Will  you  remember  that,  though  to  looward  of 
the  bark  when  she  blew  up,  we  had  not  squared 


away  ?' 


339 


Sinful    Peck 

"  Yes,  yes — I  will.     I  promise." 

"  Will  you  remember  that  Sinful  fell  overboard  in 
the  gale  about  the  same  time?" 

"Yes,  yes." 

"  Let  him  up.     Square  in  the  main-yards." 

Gunner  arose,  slipped  the  noose  from  his  neck, 
and  unsteadily  followed  the  men  to  the  weather 
main-brace,  while  Poopdeck  went  aft  to  the  wheel. 

"  Let  her  swing  off  dead  before  the  wind,  Seldom," 
he  said. 

"Dead  before  the  wind  it  is,"  answered  Seldom, 
heaving  on  the  spokes.  "What's  up,  Poopdeck? 
What  the  hell  you  laughing  at?" 

"At  Gunner,"  said  Poopdeck,  as  he  glanced,  first 
into  the  binnacle,  then  aloft  at  the  fly  at  the  miz- 
zen  truck.  "  Steady  her  at  nor 'east  by  north  for  a 
while." 

With  a  full  crew,  Poopdeck  would  have  squared 
in  the  after-yards  at  the  same  time  as  he  did  the 
main ;  but  with  just  men  enough  to  man  one  set  of 
braces  it  was  the  part  of  wisdom  to  leave  the  canvas 
on  the  mizzen  to  balance  that  on  the  fore  until  the 
ship  was  before  the  wind.  Yet  the  best  of  seaman- 
ship is  futile  in  the  face  of  rotten  canvas.  The  full 
pressure  of  the  gale,  impinging  squarely  on  the 

340 


Sinful    Peck 

braced  mizzen  topsails  as  the  ship  paid  off,  was 
more  than  they  could  stand;  a  rent  appeared  in 
the  lower  near  the  weather  clew,  then  one  in  the 
upper  at  the  reef -band,  and  before  Seldom  had 
steadied  the  ship  they  were  both  in  ribbons. 

"Well,"  remarked  Poopdeck,  philosophically,  to 
Seldom,  "  it  saves  furling  them,  and  we  won't  need 
them  again.  We've  still  got  the  fore  and  main." 

But  a  yell  from  the  men  forward  called  him  to 
the  break  of  the  poop,  and  he  saw  the  two  foretop 
sails  leaving  the  yards  in  scattering  pieces. 

"Good  enough,"  he  shouted.  "We  can  scud 
under  the  foresail  and  maintop  sails.  Square  in 
fore  and  cro'-jack  yards  just  the  same." 

They  did  so,  took  in  the  spanker  and  two  outer 
jibs  without  orders  —  for  these  men  needed  little 
supervision  among  themselves — and  as  the  royals, 
the  main-sail,  and  the  cro'-jack  had  been  furled  be- 
fore the  top  -  gallant  sails  blew  away,  the  big  ship 
rode  along  over  the  seas  under  the  canvas  named 
by  Poopdeck — a  good  rig  for  scudding,  but  a  poor 
one  under  other  conditions. 


XLI 

AJD  other  conditions  arose.  They  picked  up  the 
light-ship  sooner  than  Poopdeck  had  predicted, 
and  went  by  it  in  a  screaming  squall  that  flattened 
the  seas  to  a  level  surface  of  froth.  Then,  with  Point 
Bonita  and  Fort  Point  lights  plainly  visible  to  mark 
their  course  into  port,  and  lesser  lights  along  the 
coast  twinkling  a  welcome,  the  squall  blew  out,  and 
the  ship  tossed  and  rolled  and  groaned  on  a  cross 
sea  that  threatened  to  wrench  planks  from  timbers. 
Poopdeck  ran  below,  looked  at  the  barometer,  and, 
coming  up  hurriedly,  called  Seldom,  who  had  been 
relieved  from  the  wheel,  and  Bigpig  Monahan  aft  on 
the  poop. 

"Now  you  two  fellows,"  he  said,  "have  spent 
your  lives  at  this  business,  while  I've  been  out  of  it 
for  years.  The  glass  is  'way  down.  I  want  advice. 
It's  the  eye  of  the  storm,  no  doubt,  and  it  isn't  a 
big,  wide  one,  vicious  as  it  is,  or  we  wouldn't  have 
reached  the  centre  so  soon.  Lord  knows  which  way 

342 


Sinful    Peck 

it's  travelling,  or  where  the  wind  will  come  from 
when  it  hits  us  again.  If  it's  off  the  land  we  can 
blow  out  to  sea,  but  if  it's  from  any  other  direction 
we'll  hit  the  coast  somewhere;  we're  in  a  shallow 
bay." 

"And  there's  not  much  time  to  bend  new  top- 
sails," said  Bigpig;  "and  we  couldn't  claw  off  a  lee 
shore  if  we  had  'em  bent — and  to'-gallant  sails,  too. 
What  water  is  there  under  us?" 

"About  thirteen  fathom,  sand  bottom,  according 
to  the  chart,  and  a  five-fathom  bar  just  ahead  of 
us." 

"Anchors,"  put  in  Seldom.  "Wasn't  the  wind 
hauling  to  the  southward  before  it  left  us?" 

"A  little— not  much." 

"  A  little's  enough.  We'll  get  it  to  the  norrard  o' 
west.  There's  no  use  monkeying  with  canvas.  If 
we  can't  make  port  we'll  beach  her." 

Seldom  was  right.  It  came  directly  out  of  the 
northwest  with  a  force  that  split  the  foresail  and 
the  upper  maintop  sail,  and  banished  all  chance  of 
saving  the  ship  by  her  canvas.  Yet  they  braced  the 
main-yards  to  starboard,  set  the  spencer  and  spank- 
er— which,  with  the  lower  maintop  sail,  was  all  the 
ship  could  stagger  under — and,  heading  north  north- 

343 


Sinful    Peck 

east,  made  the  effort  to  creep  in;  but  slowly  and 
surely  the  lights  drifted  up  from  the  lee  bow  to  the 
weather  bow,  and,  with  the  twinkling  coast-lights 
but  five  miles  away,  they  lifted  the  anchors  over 
the  bows  and  saw  that  the  patent  windlass  was  in 
order  and  the  chain  free  in  the  lockers.  An  hour 
later,  in  twelve  fathoms  of  water,  they  let  go  both 
anchors,  furled  the  canvas,  and  waited.  It  was 
midnight  —  when  they  had  hoped  to  be  in  their 
bunks,  safe  in  the  best  harbor  in  the  world. 

The  cables  led  out  from  the  hawse-pipes  rigid  as 
iron  bars,  and  the  ship  rolled  and  reared,  plunged 
into  the  on-coming  seas  and  shook  them  off  as  she 
lifted,  tugging  at  her  cables  as  a  frightened  saddle- 
horse  tugs  at  the  reins  which  fasten  him ;  and  along 
these  rigid  chains  came  the  jerky  vibration  which 
tells  of  dragging  anchors.  Clustered  at  the  wind- 
lass, sheltered  from  the  blast  by  the  break  of  the 
top-gallant  forecastle,  the  crew  sensed  these  vibra- 
tions through  the  deck  and  the  soles  of  their  feet 
for  a  while;  then,  knowing  to  a  man  that  if  the 
screaming  wind  and  heaving  sea  continued  for 
long,  nothing  but  a  miracle  could  keep  the  ship 
from  the  beach,  they  moved  aft  in  a  body  to  where 
Poopdeck  stood  on  the  quarter,  gauging  the  drift 

344 


Sinful    Peck 

with  a  hand -lead.  The  lead -line  stretched  for- 
ward. 

"  We're  driving  ashore  stern  foremost  about  three 
miles  an  hour,"  roared  Poopdeck,  over  the  noise  of 
the  gale.  "  Look  there.  We're  not  two  miles  from 
the  beach."  He  pointed  to  leeward,  where  the 
shore-lights  had  grown  in  number  and  brilliancy. 

"  Well,"  answered  Seldom,  after  a  searching  look 
into  the  blackness  ahead  and  to  starboard,  "  there's 
no  sign  of  a  tug,  and  I  don't  mean  to  drown  at  the 
end  of  a  chain.  Let's  slip  and  beach  her,  broadside 
on.  If  she  hits  bottom  with  the  chains  out  she'll 
go  to  pieces  right  in  that  spot." 

They  chorused  approval  and  raced  forward.  The 
inner  ends  of  both  chains  were  hitched  around  the 
heels  of  the  windlass  bitts,  and,  in  view  of  possible 
slipping  of  cables,  they  had  not  paid  out  the  wrhole 
length,  reserving  a  fathom  or  two  of  each  chain  for 
slack  in  the  loosening  of  the  hitches.  Also  had  they 
left  the  strain  on  the  windlass  instead  of  slacking 
the  chain  into  the  stoppers  at  the  hawse-pipes,  as 
is  done  when  a  ship  is  permanently  moored.  The 
men  who  went  below  with  lanterns,  however,  found 
a  little  too  much  chain  in  the  lockers — it  lay  too 
heavily  on  the  hitches  —  and,  climbing  out,  they 

345 


Shiftii    Peck 

sent  the  word  upward  to  "pay  out  handsomely 
about  eight  feet  of  each  chain."  Bigpig  and  Sel- 
dom climbed  the  forecastle  steps,  and,  with  heads 
bowed  to  the  horizontal  pelting  of  rain  and  spin- 
drift, bore  down  on  the  levers  and  unhooked  them. 
The  strain  of  the  chains  now  lay  on  the  two  freely 
turning  "wild-cats,"  or  sprocketed  wheels,  held  by 
friction  bands,  the  levers  of  which  were  in  the  hands 
of  two  men. 

It  was  the  fault  of  no  one.  Bigpig  and  Seldom 
were  strong,  intelligent  men  who  understood  pat- 
ent windlasses,  and  lesser  men  than  they  could 
have  performed  the  task  they  had  essayed ;  but  no 
strength,  intelligence,  or  forethought  could  have 
availed  against  the  impact  of  the  unexpected  green 
sea  which  the  big,  high  ship  spooned  up  as  easily  as 
though  she  were  loaded  to  her  bearings.  It  washed 
the  two  men  away  from  the  levers  and  over  the 
break  of  the  forecastle  to  the  deck  below ;  the  levers 
flew  up,  the  freed  wild-cats  spun  within  the  loosened 
friction  bands,  and  the  chains  rattled  out  the  hawse-1 
pipes  until  a  crashing  jar  below  decks  apprised  the 
men  that  the  ends  had  brought  up.  With  much 
bad  language  they  descended  and  investigated ;  the 
ends  of  both  chains  had  slid  up  the  bitts  and  the 

346 


Sinful    Peck 

hitches  were  jammed  against  the  chain-pipes  in  the 
deck.  They  rushed  up,  locked  and  manned  the 
windlass,  but  a  short  struggle  with  the  brakes  fail- 
ing to  gain  them  a  link  of  slack,  they  gave  it  up 
and  searched  the  carpenter-shop  for  steel  saws,  but 
found  nothing  that  would  touch  those  two-inch 
links.  They  went  below  and  packed  their  bags. 

Then  they  thought  of  the  two  boats  left,  and 
cleared  them  away;  but  on  the  advice  of  Poop- 
deck,  who  told  them  of  a  life-saving  station  three 
miles  to  the  northward,  and  on  their  own  second 
thought,  they  decided  not  to  launch  them  in  a  sea 
against  which  they  could  not  heave  in  chain, 
and  sent  up  rockets  instead ;  but  long  before  a  flare- 
light  on  the  beach  had  apprised  them  that  they  were 
seen,  the  vibrations  of  the  chains  had  merged  into 
the  quivering  of  the  huge  fabric  as  the  stern  took 
the  bottom.  The  first  blow  twisted  the  rudder,  and 
the  spinning  wheel,  bringing  up  with  a  jerk,  sailed 
high  in  air,  taking  the  wheel -box  and  part  of  its 
mechanism  with  it.  The  next  finished  the  rudder 
and  brought  down  the  fore  and  mizzen  top-gallant 
masts,  the  latter  falling  overboard,  the  former  land- 
ing squarely  across  the  waiting  boats  and  smashing 
them.  It  was  the  beginning  of  the  end.  With  the 

347 


Sinful    Peck 

strain  off  the  cables,  the  ship  lay  bows  nearly  to 
the  seas,  and,  dragging  no  more,  went  to  pieces  as 
Seldom  had  predicted.  The  stern  went  first,  disin- 
tegrating plank  by  plank,  timber  by  timber.  The 
masts  fell  one  by  one;  the  split  and  twisted  deck 
sank  in  a  slant  towards  the  shore ;  and  they  mus- 
tered under  the  shelter  of  the  top-gallant  forecastle, 
where  they  ruined  every  axe  aboard  trying  to  sever 
the  chains,  until,  flooded  out  by  the  sea  as  the  ship's 
bottom  ground  away,  they  climbed  to  the  top  of  it 
with  their  dunnage.  And  on  this  platform,  awash 
with  the  water,  they  lashed  themselves  and  clung, 
drenched,  bruised,  and  miserable,  until  the  eastern 
sky  lightened  with  the  coming  of  day. 

"She  picked  a  hard  spot/'^said  Poopdeck,  stand- 
ing up  to  look  between  two  seas.  "No  sand  bot- 
tom 'd  tear  a  ship  to  pieces  like  this.  It's  rocks, 
and  they're  not  charted.  We're  nearly  a  mile  off 
the  beach,  boys;  that's  why  the  life-savers  couldn't 
work.  We'll  have  to  wait  till  they  can  launch  their 
boat." 

"They'd  better  hurry  up,"  said  Seldom,  in  his 
voice  which  no  peril  nor  pleasure  could  change. 

"We  won't  last  long  here,"  put  in  Gunner, 
gloomily.  "  It's  the  judgment  of  Providence." 

348 


Sinful    Peck 

"It's  the  number  thirteen,  Gunner,"  answered 
Poopdeck.  "The  incident's  not  closed.  Dry  up, 
or  there'll  be  twelve  of  us  for  better  luck." 

"Good  thing  we  didn't  try  our  boats,"  said  Big- 
pig,  as  he  hove  his  long  frame  erect.  "  Look  at 
that  surf,  and  look  at  those  combers  coming  in." 
He  pointed  to  windward,  where  the  horizon  was 
marked  by  the  foaming  crest  of  a  mile-long  sea. 

They  all  stood  up,  stretching  their  cramped  limbs 
and  looking  about. 

"  Something  else  coming  in,"  said  one,  as  he  stared 
to  windward.  "  It  dropped  behind  that  first  sea." 

They  watched  where  he  pointed,  straight  out; 
and  when  the  long  comber  subsided  to  make  way 
for  the  next,  there  appeared  on  its  face  a  boat  under 
a  rag  of  sail,  which  seemed  to  slide  stern  first  up  the 
glassy  slope  and  disappear  in  the  foam  of  the  sea 
crest;  but  as  the  foam  grew  less  the  rag  of  canvas 
was  seen  for  an  instant  before  it  sank  in  the  hollow 
behind.  The  next  sea  brought  it  plainer  to  view — 
a  boat  under  a  storm-reefed  lug,  with  a  man  in  the 
stern;  and  as  it  drew  nearer  with  each  sea  they 
saw  in  the  gathering  light  that  this  man's  hair 
was  white,  and  his  face  the  face  of  a  death's-head. 


XLII 

IT'S  the  dory !"  yelled  Gunner,  as  he  clung  to  the 
capstan  and  ducked  his  head  to  a  wall  of  water 
that  crashed  over  the  wreck;  then,  looking  again, 
he  repeated:  "It's  the  dory,  and,  before  God  in 
heaven,  it's  Peck!" 

"The  hell  you  say!"  said  Seldom,  from  the  jib- 
sheet  pins,  to  which  the  sea  had  washed  him.  "  Sin- 
ful, is  it?  Sure  enough.  Sinful's  luck.  It  never 
went  back  on  him.  Port  a  bit,  you  little  devil — 
port !' '  he  called.  ' '  Steady-y-y-y-y !' ' 

A  maniac  shriek  came  down  the  wind,  and  the 
white-haired  little  man  stood  erect  and  gesticulated. 
They  saw  his  emaciated  face,  seamed  and  strained 
with  the  emotions  of  his  disordered  brain,  and  his 
eyes,  gleaming  with  an  unfamiliar  light. 

"He's  dotty,"  said  Poopdeck.  "Stand  by  to 
catch  him.  Clear  away  that  running  -  gear,  Sel- 
dom." 

Two  more  seas  brought  him  close,  and  they  called 
35° 


Sinful    Peck 

to  him  words  of  encouragement  and  welcome,  which 
he  answered  in  screams — inarticulate  and  unintel- 
ligible; then  a  third  sea  lifted  the  dory  high,  and, 
crashing  over  the  wrecked  top -gallant  forecastle, 
brought  the  little  craft  with  it,  throwing  it  sidewise 
as  it  landed  among  them,  overturning  it  and  spill- 
ing out  Sinful,  who  struck  head  first  against  the  cat- 
head and  lay  quiet,  and  a  thing  indescribable,  which 
wormed  and  squirmed  and  twisted  its  way  about 
with  seeming  life  until  the  next  sea  washed  it  away, 
to  sink  like  a  stone  among  the  wreckage. 

But  the  same  sea  took  the  dory,  and  Sinful,  too; 
and,  sick  with  horror,  they  let  him  go,  to  join  the 
thing  he  had  brought  to  them;  and  he  would  as- 
suredly have  joined  it  had  not  one  man  nerved 
himself  to  action.  It  was  Seldom  Helward,  his 
implacable  enemy,  who,  with  the  end  of  a  long  jib 
downhaul  knotted  around  him,  sprang  into  the  sea 
and  swam  towards  the  small  figure  barely  afloat 
to  leeward.  He  reached  it  just  in  time,  sang  out 
"Haul  in,"  and  was  pulled  with  his  burden  to  the 
arms  of  his  fellows. 

"  Is  he  dead?"  they  asked. 

"  Don't  know,"  answered  Seldom,  as  he  clung 
weakly  to  Bigpig's  legs.  "  He  got  a  bad  rap  on  the 


Sinful    Peck 

head,  and  he  must  be  full  o'  water.     I'm  full.     Jolt 
it  out  of  him." 

On  that  water- washed  platform,  with  death  men- 
acing them  all,  they  labored  over  the  inanimate  Sin- 
ful, applying  the  methods  used  in  the  resuscitation 
of  the  drowned,  supplemented  by  kindly  but  pro- 
fane objurgations  which  but  poorly  expressed  their 
emotions.  The  bitterness  was  gone  from  their 
hearts,  and  they  forgot  the  long  list  of  defeats  at  the 
hands  of  this  mocking  practical  joker,  seeing  and 
knowing  nothing  but  that  he  lay  in  their  hands, 
helpless,  conquered,  aged,  and  emaciated — possibly 
dead,  but  insane  when  conscious. 

Yet  there  was  no  maniac  glare  in  the  eyes  that 
finally  opened  and  looked  at  them,  nor  was  there 
anything  abnormal  in  the  voice  that  huskily  in- 
quired: "  What  the  hell's  the  matter?" 

They  answered  him  joyously,  but  he  had  relapsed, 
and  they  supported  his  head  clear  of  the  rushing 
seas  until  he  again  opened  his  eyes ;  then  he  asked— 
not  for  water,  not  for  food,  but  for  the  captain. 

"Was  that  the  skipper,  Sinful?"  asked  Bigpig. 
"  Well,  he's  dead,  and  washed  overboard." 

He  was  still  for  a  few  moments,  then  said:  "I 
can't  remember.  What  happened?  I  was  in  the 

352 


Sinful    Peck 

dory,  and  the  bark  blew  up.  I  found  the  captain ; 
but — I  don't  remember.  Where  are  we  now?" 

"Peck,"  interposed  Gunner,  who  was  supporting 
Sinful' s  head,  "  the  ship  is  wrecked  on  the  Cali- 
fornian  coast.  We're  all  here  on  the  forecastle, 
waiting  for  the  life  -  savers.  You  just  came  down 
on  us  in  the  dory  with  the  dead  skipper.  You  were 
crazy.  Do  you  remember  being  tied  to  the  quarter 
bitt  when  the  bark  blew  up  ?  You  went  out  of  your 
head  then,  and  got  clear  and  jumped  into  the  dory. 
You  must  have  found  the  skipper,  for  you  brought 
him  with  you,  dead." 

"  Yes,  I  found  him ;  he  was  alive  then,  and  burned, 
and  blind,  with  his  back  broken,"  said  Sinful,  in  a 
stronger  voice.  "  But  what  made  me  crazy?  I'm 
not  in  the  habit  of  it." 

The  touch  of  humor  was  painful,  but  they  laughed 
as  they  answered : 

"Too  much  for  you,  Sinful.  The  skipper  was 
your  only  friend.  He  took  your  place  in  the  bark, 
and  you  went  daft  when  she  blew  up.  That's  all 
there  is  to  it." 

"  I  suppose  so.     How  long  ago  was  that?" 

"About  a  week,  Sinful.  You've  been  a  week  in 
an  open  boat  with  a  dead  man.  You've  been  crazy 
2*  353 


Sinful    Peck 

for  a  week,  and  have  just  come  around — struck  your 
head  against  the  cathead  as  you  boarded  us." 

"Struck  my  head  " — he  felt  of  it — "  and  it  brought 
me  to  my  senses.  I  always  feared  it.  I  must  look 
out." 

"Feared  what,  Sinful?" 

"Varicose  veins.  Exposure,  fatigue,  trouble  of 
mind  aggravate  them.  Blood-clots  form  and  drift 
to  the  brain.  Lucky  I  struck  my  head  and  jarred 
it  away." 

"Well,  you're  all  right  now,  Sinful,"  said  Sel- 
dom, "and  you've  won  your  bet.  I  consider  that 
you've  finished  the  voyage;  for  we're  on  the  coast, 
within  the  three-mile  limit,  and  this  mile  of  surf 
don't  matter." 

Sinful  looked  at  him  with  something  of  the  old, 
quizzical  expression. 

"Seldom,"  he  said,  "I  cabled  my  partner  from 
Singapore  to  pay  that  money  to  your  wife,  and  he 
answered  that  he  had  her  receipt." 

They  all  looked  at  Seldom,  who  did  not  meet  their 
glances.  Then  one  said:  "And  you  signed  over 
your  salvage  claim  to  us,  Sinful.  We  found  the 
paper.  Why  was  that?" 

"  Because  you  earned  it.  I  did  not.  But  I  played 
354 


Sinful    Peck 

the  game  out.  Yes,  I  played  the  game,  and  I've  had 
lots  of  fun,  boys."  He  closed  his  eyes  with  a  smile. 

"And  did  you  know,  Peck,"  said  Gunner,  "that 
you  slipped  overboard  after  striking  your  head, 
and  would  have  drowned  but  that  Seldom  swam 
after  you?  He  saved  your  life,  Peck." 

Sinful's  eyes  opened,  and  the  smile  left  his  face. 
He  reached  out  his  hand  to  Seldom,  and  the  grouchy 
old  fellow  gripped  it,  while  a  shamed  smile  came  to 
his  own  rugged  countenance. 

"Wreck  a-hoy-oy-oy !"  came  a  ringing  hail  down 
the  wind.  "Standby!" 

They  looked  to  windward.  A  turtle-ended  life- 
boat was  there,  with  eight  cork-jacketed  men  at  the 
oars.  The  helmsman,  erect  at  the  steering  oar,  had 
uttered  the  hail;  the  bowman  was  casting  over- 
board a  heavy  kedge  anchor. 

"We  will  be  saved,  after  all,"  said  Gunner,  bro- 
kenly. "  It  is  the  goodness  of  God." 

"Maybe,  Gunner,"  said  Poopdeck,  slapping  him 
on  the  back.  "  You're  a  brick,  and  it's  a  good  thing 
we  didn't  hang  you,  isn't  it  ?  For  Sinful  would  have 
made  up  the  unlucky  number  again." 

THE    END 


BY  MRS.  HUMPHRY    WARD 


LADY  ROSE'S  DAUGHTER.  Illustrat- 
ed by  HOWARD  CHANDLER  CHRISTY.  Post 
8vo,  Ornamented  Cloth,  $i  50. 

This  is  Mrs.  Humphry  Ward's  latest  novel.  It  has 
been  hailed  as  undoubtedly  her  best,  while  Julie  Le 
Breton,  the  heroine,  has  been  called  "  the  most  appeal- 
ing type  of  heroine  in  English  fiction." 

"  A  story  that  must  be  read." — New  York  Sun. 

"Vividly  alive  from  the  first  line." — Chicago  Record- 
Herald. 

"The  most  marvellous  work  of  its  wonderful  author." 
— New  York  World. 

"  Absolutely  different  from  anything  else  that  has 
ever  appeared  in  fiction." — Brooklyn  Eagle. 

"  Love  is  not  here  the  sentimental  emotion  of  the  or- 
dinary novel  or  play,  but  the  power  that  purges  the 
weaknesses  and  vivifies  the  dormant  nobilities  of  men 
and  women." — The  Academy,  London,  England. 

"  Quite  sure  to  be  the  most  widely  and  most  highly 
considered  book  of  the  year." — Chicago  Evening  Post. 

"  The  story  is  the  combat  between  two  powers  of  a 
brilliant  woman's  nature.  Sometimes  you  are  sure  the 
lawless,  the  vagabond,  and  the  intriguing  side  will  win. 
But  it  doesn't.  .  .  ."—Boston  Transcript. 


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BY  ONOTO  WATANNA 


THE  WOOING  OF  WISTARIA.  Frontispiece  Por- 
trait of  Author.  Post  8vo,  Ornamented  Cloth, 
Si  50. 

This  novel  is  a  new  departure  in  fiction.     It  is  a 
strong,  dramatic  story  of  Japanese  life  by  a  Japan- 
ese author.     The  heroine,  Wistaria,  is  a  beautiful 
Japanese  girl  whose  father,  a  soldier  of  rank,  is 
cruelly  wronged  by  a  Prince  of  the  reigning  hour 
The  daughter,  swearing  to  avenge  her  father,  fi 
in  love  with  the  son  of  the  Prince  without  knowi 
his  rank  or  position.     From  this  dramatic  moti 
the  story  is  developed.     It  is  not  only  a  brilliam 
novel,  but  it  has  all  the  charm  that  made  such  a 
popular  success  of  the  author's  first  book,  "  A  Japan- 
ese Nightingale." 

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BY  ROBERT  W.   CHAMBERS 


THE  MAiD-AT-ARMS.  Illustrated  by  Howard 
Chandler  Christy.  Post  8vo,  Ornamented  Cloth, 
$i  50- 

Mr.  Chambers  has  long  since  won  a  most  enviable 
position  among  contemporary  novelists.  The  great 
popular  success  of  "Cardigan"  makes  this  present 
novel  of  unusual  interest  to  all  readers  of  fiction. 
't  is  a  stirring  novel  of  American  life  in  days  just 

<cr  the  Revolution.  It  deals  with  the  conspiracy 
the  great  New  York  land-owners  and  the  sub- 

Cation  of  New  York  Province  to  the  British.     It 

6  a  story  with  a  fascinating  love  interest,  and  is 

alive  with  exciting  incident  and  adventure.     Some 

of  the  characters  of  "Cardigan"  reappear  in  this 

new  novel. 

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BY  HENRY  SETON   MERRIMAN 


THE    VULTURES.    Illustrated.    Post   8vo,   Oi- 
namented  Cloth,  $i  50. 

A  new  novel  by  Henry  Seton  Merriiiian  is  always 
eagerly  welcomed  by  every  reader  of  liction.  This 
is  a  story  of  intrigue,  conspiracy,  and  exciting  ad- 
venture among  the  political  factions  of  the  great 
European  nations.  One  of  the  scenes  is  in  Russia 
at  the  time  of  the  assassination  of  the  Czar.  The 
attaches  of  the  various  Foreign  Ofiices  play  an 
important  part.  It  is  full  of  exciting,  dramatic 
situations,  most  of  which 'centre  around  the  love 
interest  of  the  story — the  love  of  a  young  English 
diplomatist  for  the  beautiful  Countess  Wanda  of 
Warsaw. 


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